Confessions
by Losille2000
Summary: Friendship was never a problem for two elves to share, if they both wished it. But it became a problem when friendship turned to love at the most unsuspected of times, interrupting the plans of a smothering father.
1. Prologue

Timeline: Third Age- beginning to end.

Prologue

He was Círdan the Shipwright, ruler of the Grey Havens for many ages, and now of all the land west of the Blue Mountains. He was Lord of the Teleri, gifted by the Valar with the power of seeing further and deeper into future dealings of great importance. He was one of the Wise, and clearly one of the eldest of the Elves to inhabit Middle-earth since his awaking at Cuiviénen. He had seen and participated in more battles than anyone could possibly note. He had witnessed the creation and downfall of great civilizations, and even seen the most atrocious acts committed by Elves to other Elves in the pursuit of mere jewels. Many times had he been driven to small islands by all of the foes of Middle-earth, but had battled back valiantly with his mariners and the aide of many others to reclaim his lands and rebuild the Havens. He was mentor to Eärendil, keeper of one of the great Seeing-stones, and even the guardian of Narya, Ring of Fire and of the Three.

With all of the distinctions he held as of the Third Age, from shipwright to Lord and Ruler of Lindon, no one could really know of the true, and by far the greatest, role he held in all the lands of Aman and Arda.

He was chief knee bouncer extraordinaire.

Círdan chuckled to himself as he looked down towards the feathery pale blonde hair of the elfling upon his knee. Really, who could have denied any child, much less one who had entered the study so quietly, come to stand beside him and tug at his robes to softly? He had been lost the instant he gazed down into his granddaughter's large blue eyes, demanding his attention. She had not spoken of what she wanted, as it was her nature to remain rather quiet, but Círdan knew well enough the wishes of the small elfling. Being the obliging Elf he was, he bent down to lift her and place her on his lap.

The child let out a little squeal of delight, and looked back at him. She had had enough knee bouncing for now. He smiled and drew the child to his chest, deciding that the missives from Imladris and Lórien would have to wait to receive their correspondence.

"How did you sneak way from your tutors, Silaerín?" Círdan asked suspiciously, though he knew that his granddaughter was the last elf who would disobey any person or order she was given.

"They said I could leave, Grandfather." She replied quietly and almost submissively.

Círdan often worried for her sake; Silaerín had always been a quiet child and nearly frightened to death by situations that involved a great deal of people, as she found herself more suited for the teachings in old Elven histories rather than those that real life had to offer her with Elves her age. There had been many times that she had been ordered to go play with elflings, but he always ended up finding her sitting alone on the beach or in the libraries with a leather bound book in her hands. And it was not as if the other children did not like her, she just did not find their normal activities of pretend Sauron and Balrog slaying appeasing.

"And what of your brother?" Círdan questioned. Often over looked she was among the boisterousness and likes of her elder brother and the outspokenness of her two cousins who also took lessons with her. Silaerín had told him once that she could leave the lesson chamber entirely for a great while and not be missed, or even miss anything that was being taught because of the others' disruptive behavior. Maybe this was one such time.

"Celin is still with the tutors." Silaerín glanced up at him. "He is being made to read an old scroll again for not knowing his lesson. He was out with one of the weapons instructors late last eve."

Círdan grumbled to himself, glad that the tutors were seeing to it that Celin had some discipline and was given the punishment he deserved. Since his birth, Celin had been terribly spoiled and doted upon, usually to his detriment, and it seemed that only when something suited him, did he do anything. As the years passed, it became more apparent that Círdan's own son, Nenvír, felt very wronged as a child and sought to right those evils with Celin. Círdan had been just as a father, never expecting too much or too little of his son, but he had never thought he starved him for attention a great deal or made a habit of saying that Nenvír had never turned out like he should have. For so long, Círdan had worried that he had been too harsh on Nenvír, but he could never justify his worrying. Why, then, had Nenvír taken to allowing bad behavior from Celin, so much so that it ruined a perfectly good elfling, and not allowing it from Silaerín?

He had actually been quite proud of his son, and frequently let him know it, until the begetting of Silaerín. Celin, even though he was nearly fifty at her birth, had acted like a babe, crying for his father's and mother's attention. Silaerín had been quickly brushed aside so that Celin's wants and needs could promptly be seen to. She received little interest from Nenvír, even as a new babe, when she was truly the deserving one of his greater attentions. And now without her mother on these shores, she was often left in the shuffle and forgotten, unless her father felt it necessary to single her out and control the actions that he did not see befitting of a young Lady of the Havens. Perhaps it was that Nenvír gave her the same amount of attention as Celin, though it was overtly controlling?

Nonetheless, Círdan found himself immensely enamored by his granddaughter, who had taken more of his traits than Nenvír's or her mother's, and wished to show Silaerín that she was worth far more than Nenvír and Celin gave her credit for.

It was actually in this little elfling that he saw the makings of a great ruler, as she was so studious and diplomatic in her dealings whenever she had them. Even with the other elflings, she often commanded a great deal of respect and love, by showing a high level of kindness, from them without asking for it. She was never reproachful, nor was she a complainer in any manner. Even at her young age, she gave very educated advice to others. There had been more than one occasion where he had spoken of rather complicated matters involving the state of Lindon and Mithlond, and Silaerín had offered some rather sensible advice by breaking the problem down to its barest form. Little did the people of these two great Elven realms know that he was taking his granddaughter's idealist way of looking at things, and then forming them into, often times, decent plans of action.

Círdan sighed to himself, thinking it a truly sad state of affairs when he would sooner place his eleven year old granddaughter in control of the lordship over Lindon, than her father who had walked in Arda for nearly four thousand years.

Silaerín snuggled deeper into his robes, her tiny knuckles turning white as she attached herself to the fabric of his robes for dear life. "What does sycophant mean, Iauradar?"

"Where have you heard that, little one?" Círdan asked, though he did not necessarily wish to know the answer. He could have also easily reached into her mind, but he tried to keep himself from using this tactic with Silaerín. She had a touch of his own ability, and always blocked what he was trying to do quite sufficiently, whether she realized she carried the ability or not. Either that or the others he could easily read the minds of had such penetrable and weak minds that it was hardly a challenge for him.

"Celin called me that after I recited the lesson perfectly that he was to learn last eve." She said.

Círdan chuckled to himself. She truly was an elleth after his own heart, wishing to learn all she could, even though it was far beyond her years. "A sycophant is not a very nice thing, Silaerín. It means that you do more than is necessary to seek special attentions."

"Oh," Silaerín said quietly, her eyes looking towards the ground, "But I am not a sycophant, Iauradar. I just found Celin's lessons more interesting than mine."

He smiled, raised her face to look at his, "Silaerín, you are not a sycophant. It should be applauded that you do so well with your lessons... and with other's lessons as well."

"Truly?" She asked.

"Truly." He replied and let a long sigh escape his lips, "What were these lessons of?"

"Celin's was about the Kinslaying." Silaerín said with a great amount of enthusiasm, but her face fell when she continued with mentioning her lesson. "And mine was of Lúthien and Beren."

Círdan raised his brows in a questioning fashion, "You did not wish to learn of Lúthien and Beren?"

"Nay." She shook her head emphatically. He laughed at her, but knew she was not lying. The other thing he found quite endearing about Silaerín was that she did not care for the tales of romances and fanciful things, even if they were fraught with great struggles. She really only cared for the tales and histories of battles and the lives of her people. She wanted to know how the world worked, even if she could not quite understand it yet. Time would tell if she would ever change her mind, but Círdan truly hoped she would change. There was no sense to an elleth her age thinking of battle and death all the time.

"And why not? Theirs is a tale of what true love really is, and what a powerful thing it is when an elleth and a man stand against centuries old practices of not marrying out of one's race. Besides that point, it is also a rather dark tale of battles and evil things. It should have been interesting to you." Círdan replied, "You would learn very much."

Silaerín sighed, obviously still not convinced by his words. "She weaves too many spells, Iauradar. It is implausible for her to be so gifted with powers."

"Melian the Maia is her mother, which would make Lúthien half Maia. Elu Thingol, her father, was a great Elf as well, and often compared to the Maia." Círdan replied, "They were both very powerful."

"You and Iaurnaneth were very powerful Elves and Adar has no special powers." Silaerín said, looking up at him intently.

Círdan laughed at the compliment he had been given, ultimately being compared to his kinsman Thingol. "I am not so great an Elf as Thingol, but I am flattered that you think so. Your father, however, was perhaps undeserving of such powers so he was given none."

"Adar says it is because you wished for him not to have the abilities you do." She said quietly, resting against him now.

"I have no control over that matter. Only the Valar do." Círdan looked down at her, though what she had said had hurt him greatly. So was this why his son disliked him so? "You will learn more of the will of the Valar and Ainur as you continue your lessons, Silaerín. They can foresee beyond all who are capable of wielding these powers, and to what extent the wielding of these powers will affect the people around them."

Silaerín was quiet then, contemplating this explanation. She finally sighed and continued to rest her small head against his chest. Círdan sat back in his large chair, enjoying this moment of calm before something would inevitably interrupt it. He gazed towards his table, and spied the missives from Imladris, the crest of Elrond's house upon the red wax seal on top of the pile of folded parchment. And suddenly, an idea came over him. Perhaps it was not necessarily an idea, but more a feeling as though he were again receiving a vision of the future.

"Perhaps in a few years you would like to travel to Imladris?" Círdan asked.

She sat up quickly, eagerness shining from her now. "Really?"

He nodded his head, "Lord Elrond and his advisors are very knowledgeable in lore of the world. I think you would benefit from their teachings more than you do here with you brother and cousins."

"Can I really go to Imladris?" Silaerín asked excitedly. Her eyes were alight with joy and anxiousness, so different than when she snuck in and looked up at him with unhappiness very evident upon her face.

"I will send a letter to Lord Elrond to ask him if he can accommodate you." Círdan replied, "But until I hear back, perhaps this idea should remain only spoken between us. I only wish to send you."

She nodded her head, a smile stretching across her face, "Thank you, Iauradar."

Her arms went about his neck and he laughed lightly. Was it such a shame that he only laughed when she was around him? He sighed and hugged her close. Sometimes he had wished for the joys of having a daughter as well as a son, but he was content with only having a granddaughter.

"Silaerín, you should know better than to interrupt your grandfather!"

The elfling jumped within his arms at the irritated voice of her father, and slowly turned to look at him. He was walking quickly up to the desk, a look of anger written upon his features, more so than he should have probably exhibited. Nenvír hated it when Silaerín disobeyed him, and it seemed that conversely to Celin, he doted an even greater deal upon her now, though it turned to being quite smothering, requiring of her actions more than he required himself. It was almost as though he wanted to control her.

Silaerín hung her head and removed herself reluctantly from Círdan's lap. She sighed heavily, curtsying lowly to Círdan and then to her father. "Forgive me, Adar."

Nenvír looked upon the small elfling in a helpless manner. "Why are you not at your lessons?"

"Master Tyelco said I could leave for the day." She responded quietly, once again reverting to her reserved and submissive manner. Just the way she acted when her father was around was sickening to Círdan. He understood the need for respect in any family, but it was obvious Nenvír commanded much more than was necessary or deserved as Silaerín's eyes fixed upon the stone floor. Círdan felt himself growing angry as well, but only with the way his son treated Silaerín so harshly and Celin so lightly. It was actually quite preposterous that he could grow angry so easily after living all of these years and learning how to control his emotions, but this was one instance that could not pass by him.

However, he was not going to let Silaerín witness the discussion he was planning to have with Nenvír after she left.

"He lets you go too easily. I must speak to him." Nenvír replied, sighing heavily and turning to look at him. Nenvír spoke then, "You may be go back to your lessons, Silaerín."

Círdan watched the elfling scurry out of the room, and down the hallway as the door at the very end was opened and then closed quickly. He sighed heavily and stood up, walking over to the large side window. He gazed out on the docks, taking in a long breath of the sea air drifting in through the opening. That always seemed to calm him, but it did not work so well this time. Círdan clasped his hands behind his back and turned away from the window, looking towards his son for a few moments, trying to read his thoughts before looking at the ground and letting out a long sigh. He was so unhappy now, he could not even focus enough of his energy on trying to understand where his son was coming from in acting so oppressing to Silaerín!

"Adar, just tell me what you would like to but are trying to form into better words." Nenvír spoke in a resigned fashion.

"I know not what I wish to tell you, Nenvír." Círdan spoke quietly, now desperate to rein in his anger because his son spoke to him in such a way. "What have I done to wrong you?"

"Adar?" Nenvír questioned curiously, though it was obvious he knew exactly why he was asking him this question.

Círdan glanced back at Nenvír, and shook his head slightly. "Why must you treat your daughter in such a way?"

"She will never learn if I do not," he answered.

Círdan sighed to himself, watching the Falathrim now loading a boat with supplies to be shipped across to the island. "Do you not think you are just a little too harsh on her? She is only eleven."

Nenvír joined his father's side and gazed out onto the docks. "I only do what you did to me as a child, Adar."

So now he had paid too much attention to Nenvír, albeit supposedly bad attention? Compared to the anger Círdan now felt at that remark, what he had felt a few moments earlier was a mere annoyance. "I was never so overbearing to you, Nenvír. I never told you what you could do and could not do. Your mother did that."

His son remained quiet and flicked some of his hair behind his shoulder as he left Círdan's side and walked over to the desk full of papers. Círdan turned and watched as his son sat down with an ever so possessive and arrogant air about him in the high-backed chair behind the table. "Adar, she is my daughter, I will do what I see fit. I am not cruel to her, and there are far worse things that I could do to her. You forget that I am acting as mother and father, so I must act like I do. You show her enough leniency for ten of me, so she must receive discipline from someone."

"While you let your son run about as a miscreant?" Círdan snorted disgustedly. "Do you know that their tutors let Silaerín go because she is not only better behaved than Celin, but also continually memorizes her lessons as well as the ones Celin is to have learned? If anything, you should be speaking to the tutors about him."

"The tutors are weak. All Tyelco needs is a simple smile from an elleth of any age and he lets them out of his clutches." Nenvír said, picking a long white feather quill up from the desk, twirling it in his fingers. He gazed at the stack of missives upon the desk. "Adar, do you need help with your correspondence? You seem to be falling behind with Silaerín's interruption."

Círdan walked over to the table, and snatched the quill from his fingers. "I am perfectly capable of handling my correspondence, Nenvír. I cannot believe you would suggest such a thing!"

He looked up at him indignantly, "At least I would not let a simple elleth pull me away from my work as the ruler of these lands. It is much more important than she."

"You will learn, my son, in the most dire of times just how important the delicate balance between a parents' love and need to control his children's life is." Círdan threatened, his voice taking on the low, foreboding timbre he had developed over many years of telling others of the evil things he saw in the future.

"How would you know, Adar? You did a sufficient job of controlling mine." Nenvír said, raising a challenging brow. "And I do love her, Adar, as I am sure you love me, but she needs someone to tell her at this age what is a better course of action in many situations."

"I never controlled you, Nenvír. I agree with the need for discipline as well, Nenvír, but you are far too critical of her. Was I like that to you?" He smoothed his robes over his shoulders, and looked down his nose at his son.

He looked up at Círdan, "You may not have realized this, but you were and still are overly critical of me. What do you call this conversation and telling me how to run my family?"

Círdan was quiet for a moment, thinking about what Nenvír had said, though he still could not see what he meant. "But as you said, you are acting as two parents now, not just as her father. She needs your love even more now that her mother is gone. Do you not see that? Or is that the reason why you are so insensitive to Silaerín?"

Nenvír stood from his seat and straightened to his full height, gazing into Círdan's eyes. His son wished to say something, Círdan could see that much from the look of anger on his features and the way it seemed he would spit fire if he opened his mouth, but all Nenvír could do was grunt and march out of the room, his nose held high. Círdan closed his eyes for a moment and then dropped down into his seat. He acted so much like an child. What was he to do about this? Maybe it would not only suit Silaerín to be free of her father's unreasonable and smothering parenting, but also her father from the 'burden' of having such a lovely daughter. Lord Elrond and his refuge in the Valley would be a wonderful place for her to go and learn of what parents should be like, and also expand her knowledge of Arda and beyond.

Círdan sighed and pulled a piece of parchment from a drawer, placing it in front of him. He had to put this into writing before he did anything else. This was, as far as he was concerned, a matter of greater importance than anything else he could receive from Amroth in Lórien, or even Elrond in Imladris.

* * *

Silaerín- Queen of the Shining Sea

Nenvír- Water jewel

Celin- Water flows musically

Iauradar- Grandfather, "Ancient father" in Sindarin

Iaurnaneth- Grandmother, "Ancient mother" in Sindarin

Adar- Father

Elven age: Done at a simple ratio of 18 human years to 50 Elvish years, the age of 4 in human years would equal that of about 11 in Elvish years. So it would be that Silaerín is really at the growth rate of a four year old in our eyes.

_A/N: Originally for the LACE Trim challenge, but the story does not use canon to support the deviation from LACE. Therefore I will leave it in a regular section. Though it is out of the section, I will still tell a story of how the factoid from LACE isn't necessarily so. Also on a side note, I completely understand that Lúthien's/ Beren's tale is hardly a sappy love story, but for the purposes of this prologue, I rely on the romance aspect of the relationship more than the other parts. I hope you have enjoyed this prologue, and continue on through this long chaptered saga!_


	2. Imladris: Valley of Hope

Chapter 1- Imladris: Valley of Hope

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1 Echuir, Year 183 of the Third Age

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She was the furthest away from everything she had known in her life. The thought frightened her, making her realize how insignificant she really was in the grand scheme of things and making her believe that one mere child elleth such as her could never change anything in the world. What differences could she make? What change had her grandfather sent her to make? Even with her high station in birth, she could do nothing. Though at times she could harness a bit of prescience into the minds and hearts of others, but that would accomplish nothing in the long run because she could not yet control this ability. And it was her affinity with others that let her accomplish such things. But if that were true, she would have known on some level what her grandfather's intentions were in sending her to Imaldris. Maybe Lord Elrond would have some insight into this matter, for her grandfather always chose to leave his comments vague on any issue.

Silaerín sighed and readjusted herself on the back of her brown-colored mare, finding that her back was stiff and her backend ached beyond anything she had ever felt in her short life. Actually, it had hurt her for the entire journey from the shores of Mithlond, but now her pains were to a point that they seemingly could not be cured by anyone. Not even the healer who had been assigned as her lady-in-waiting and watcher for the next years could help soothe the aches she had received from riding the horse. If she had known that traveling was going to be so unpleasant, she may have rethought the decision to visit Imladris and learn from Lord Elrond.

"My lady, are you well?"

The voice startled her, and she turned her head to look down at the courtier walking beside her own horse. Silaerín was never addressed as such when in Mithlond, and becoming accustomed to being called a 'Lady' was quite difficult. Especially when she could not even think of herself as a lady. She would have much rather been a high and powerful lord like her grandfather or father. They, at least, were able to do other things instead of mending clothes, gossiping all day about the certain practices of the court, or things that bothered them about other ellyth.

"I am well, Mílwen." Silaerín replied quietly, turning her eyes forwards to the densely wooded road ahead. "I only ache from riding."

"Perhaps it would be better if you walked for awhile." One of the accompanying advisors spoke. She had come to like Galdor very much since the beginning of their journey from the Havens. She had seen this Elf many times at her grandfather's large fortress going about daily business and acting as a liaison to the lands still inhabited by Elves west of Hithaeglir, but she had never been introduced to him until this journey for he had business to attend to with Elrond and his advisors. She understood that, for she would only be in the way if someone took time out of the councils to introduce them. Nonetheless, Silaerín found that Galdor was a very likable Elf and easy to talk with, even for someone so shy as she, and he told many very interesting stories of her father's younger years. It was nice to at least hear her father was not as perfect as he made himself out to be.

Silaerín chewed on her bottom lip and said, "How long is it until we reach Imladris?"

"We will arrive by nightfall," Galdor responded. "I would recommend walking, though, my lady. It will help stretch your legs."

"It is not my legs that ache," she replied and sighed, repositioning herself again. She would live with the pain. Imladris was only a short distance away, she could make it until then. Silaerín decided to focus her attention on other things so that she would forget the aching in her muscles. Her eyes scanned the road ahead, finding that the further they traveled, the more luscious and green the plant life grew. The trees were tall and slender and looked rather full of life with their broad green leaves, despite the fact that it was not even spring yet.

All the different plants and animals she had seen starkly contrasted with her home in Mithlond. She saw no sand, even on the banks of rivers and streams that they had crossed. That was what she had missed most thus far... walking along the beach in her bare feet, feeling the tiny granules move through her toes as the strong wind brought to her nose the salty scent of the sea and whipped her hair back behind her shoulders. She missed being alone, sitting in the golden sun and reading one of the books from her grandfather's library.

Already, though, she could hear the rushing and crashing of water upon rocks as they moved closer to their destination. She had been told that this refuge was like no other Elven realm. She had heard tales that all races of Arda were accepted into Imladris. You were as likely to see Elves as you were Men, or even the much-rumored creatures called Dwarves. Silaerín had only seen Elves in Mithlond, so she could only imagine what these other races were like, even though she had heard that Dwarves were cantankerous and greedy, and she was not too sure she would befriend any of them if she were to come across one. But besides that point, Imladris was also said to be a place of happiness and vibrancy, the very feeling of life within the confines of the valley in which the Last Homely House sat. It was a place of replenishing quality, where you could go if you had been exiled or shunned out of your own lands. Somewhere that you could seek refuge for any reason. Lord Elrond and his people accepted all.

Even ellyth who tended to be very quiet and criticized by their own fathers.

If there was one thing that had helped Silaerín's mind along in her decision to travel to Imladris, it was because of her less than wonderful relationship with her father and brother. She needed more than anything to get away from her overly possessive and stifling father, who seemed to anger at the most insignificant things and think she was incapable of doing many other things. Though she had noticed a slight change in him recently, one that had somehow made him a little more agreeable, he still was like a troll to live with. If she even knew what a troll was... after all, she could only compare her observation to the histories she had read.

And besides her being away from her father, she wanted to be free of her conceited older brother. He was continually received the same amount of consideration as she, but never punished when he was the one who was always doing bad things. And often times, he was even given praise when he had done something against what he was supposed to do, conveniently making her the scapegoat for his wrong doings! Silaerín sighed heavily and shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts of her brother.

Truthfully, her true motivation to travel to Imladris was because she wanted to do something more with herself than sitting on the sandy beach, isolated from most of Arda, left to dream about the other places in the world and the adventures she could be having. Of course, even she knew it was preposterous to want these things at such a young age of thirty-three. There would be no chance for real freedom until she was at least fifty and grown, but more or less until she either found herself in Aman or bound to another Elf.

A cold spray of water found her right leg, and she glanced to the side to see what had caused such a thing to happen. She could not believe she had spent so long and gotten so into her thinking that they were now passing over a rather slender stone bridge, with a huge waterfall to their right. Silaerín gazed up at the cliff summit, at the point where the water spilled over the edge, and her jaw dropped in awe. She had seen many natural occurrences with water, from horrible storms to high tides, cesspools and hot streams, but never had she seen something so breathtaking before. The pure majesty of Ulmo's creation was nothing compared to the force it held as it thundered down the cliff and into the frothing river of water below.

"My lady..." Galdor called to her, drawing her attention way from the waterfall. He nodded silently, motioning for her to look ahead. There she found something even more visually spectacular than the waterfall to her right, which was a big accomplishment. Deep within the hidden valley stood the Last Homely House, partially hidden by trees and plants and set against the colors of the early setting sun. The structures sprawled out in multiple levels with a grand magnificent opulence that only the Elves could master, though most of the structure was still hidden behind the dense tree cover.

Silaerín smiled to herself. Already, she could tell that this would be a wonderful place to learn. Silaerín then spoke, rather quietly as she was still too mystified by the sight before her. "It is beautiful."

Her expression earned a light chorus of laughter from the accompanying Elves, and Galdor glanced at her. "I believe I said that very thing when I first traveled here, though I must point out that you will soon begin to miss the sea breeze and warm sun."

She did not reply to Galdor, her eyes slowly going over her surroundings again, though she truthfully did not think that she would ever miss the sea. On the journey she had thought she would, but not she was not so sure of that. Of course, this was only upon her first impressions of Imladris, but she knew she would love it here as long as the inhabitants of the realm were friendly. And for some odd reason, she felt as though it should not have been Galdor accompanying her and saying such things to her. Galdor should not have been the one giving her the information she wished about Imladris, or sharing of his own personal experiences when he first arrived in Imladris. It should have been her father who now rode beside her, giving her his own brief lessons on the history of Imladris instead of her grandfather's emissary. Her father was the one who _should _have smiled along with her as she made a fool of herself by gazing open-mouthed at the city.

Why had he not come anyway? It was more like him to accompany her wherever she went so he could breath down her neck and tell her what she was doing wrong, but on this trip he had been detained for some odd reason. Her grandfather had said it was to do with urgent business in the Isle of the Falas, so she had left it at his word. She had no reason not to believe him, but the fact that her father had not even bid her farewell did not sit well in her stomach.

For Elbereth's sake, she should have at least been sharing this with someone from her family! Not with Galdor, no matter how much she liked him, and even though she silently wished her father were more like him.

Silaerín steeled herself from the now heavy feeling upon her heart. There was no reason to be worrying about this now... she was Imladris. She sighed and found herself listening to the prevalent chatter amongst the traveling Elves, not really caring what was being said or if she was being spoken too. All she needed was noise to take the visions in her mind away. Usually, she would go out to the beach and sit in the sand, listening to the rise and fall of the crashing waves on the shore when she started to think such things about her father, letting the dreadful and difficult thoughts drown in the waves, and then hope they were carried off to the sea.

Finally, they made it past the gates, and one of the other guards traveling with them helped her from her horse. Silaerín steadied herself for a moment, trying to gain some semblance of functionality in her legs before even thinking about moving or looking up around her. But once she did, she was overcome by the beauty all over again. Exploring would be such fun in this place.

"Galdor!"

Her attention was drawn from her continuous gaze of the grounds to where the strong voice had called out to the Elf. The person who had called to him was rather a sight to see from his long golden hair, and slightly taller and more imposing frame than most other Elves. He glided down the steps from the main house, taking very long, confident strides. A bright smile spread on his features as he embraced Galdor in a quick welcome. She knew that Lord Elrond and his advisor Erestor were both dark-haired Elves, so it could not be one of them, and yet this gold-haired ellon had a presence about him, stating that he was quite noble and commanded a large amount of respect.

"Mae govannen, Glorfindel." Galdor said.

The Balrog slayer Glorfindel? It could not be him. He had passed on and been sent to the Halls, and Mandos very rarely restored any Elf so that they could go back to Middle-earth. There was no way that this was Glorfindel of Gondolin. But then again, perhaps that was why he seemed to require such a great deal of respect.

"Have you brought us any good news?" this supposed 'Glorfindel' asked. "Please tell me that you have, for I do not wish to be in council for all of your time here."

Galdor sighed, "It depends upon what you classify as bad and good."

"I do not like it when you start with statements like that one, mellon," the golden-haired Elf replied, his piercing brown eyes falling upon her then. His face dropped and he turned to Galdor. "Where is Nenvír?"

"He was detained with matters in Mithlond," Galdor responded quietly, glancing at her almost quickly, as though he was not sure what to say in the matter. As though she would know the diplomatic way of coming up with an excuse! After all, she had been lied to, and told that he had a problem in the Falas to attend to, not on the coast.

Glorfindel sighed and let a large, sincere smile cross his face as he looked at her, "I should not worry about the news you bring then...I suppose if Círdan is letting his granddaughter out of the protection of the Havens, then the state of affairs of the world are not so horrible."

Galdor nodded his head and smiled. "True, mellon nín... My lady, this is Lord Glorfindel. He resides here in Imladris and serves as Lord Elrond's advisor on issues of defense and the guard."

"My lord," she responded politely, curtsying lowly before him. Silaerín could not bring herself to look directly into his eyes, it was just too disconcerting for her to do that with any new acquaintance, much less a lord of another Elven realm. What would she do when she actually met Lord Elrond, if she could not handle Lord Glorfindel?

Glorfindel chuckled lightly, "Welcome, my Lady Silaerín. I am very glad that you could come here to learn from us, even though I only speak for myself."

That did not sound too promising. Did Lord Elrond not wish to have her here? Silaerín sighed and met his eyes briefly, but it was diverted by the Elves now descending the stairs Glorfindel had come down. There was Lord Elrond, a circlet of mithril atop his head of dark brown hair, dressed in rich robes of luxurious fabrics and colors. He walked smoothly, though there was a slight stiffness in the way he moved, not usually seen in Elves. Perhaps it had to do with the slight amounts of mortal blood flowing within him that made him do such a thing? Or was it because of a characteristic he had picked up as a child?

Silaerín sighed, and found that even though she held so many questions that needed answering from him, her attentiveness moved quickly to the regal elleth on his arm. She had a light golden hair, more evidence from a Sindar background than a Noldo. Long and beautiful it was, wrapped in the delicate circlet and chains of fine metals. The Lady Celebrían's gown was of the finest weave as well, and of the deepest wine color, offsetting her porcelain skin and pale eyes. A beauty she was. As a matter of fact, they both were equally as lovely as they made their way to her, and it only made Silaerín wonder more what Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel looked like in their visages. Perhaps she would chance a sighting of them while she was here?

They stopped before her, and Lord Elrond looked at her curiously for a moment, then smiled slightly. "Welcome to Imladris, Lady Silaerín."

"Thank you, my lord," Silaerín replied quietly, again unable to meet his eyes. That was until she felt soft fingers beneath her chin, lifting her head so that she gazed up, though she found that it was Lady Celebrían standing before her, not Lord Elrond. Silaerín took a deep breath and let it out of her lungs slowly. This was one of the most frightening things she had ever done before... meeting the lords and ladies of other realms... and she was not very sure she wanted to do this as a regular occurrence in her life.

* * *

"My lord, the contingent from Mithlond has arrived into the city."

Elrond looked up from the volumes of parchments strewn about his desk and let out a long sigh. Still no closer to an idea upon how he should deal with the problems of the world, he was glad for a slight diversion from his work. Nodded his head and stood up, adjusting his robes over his body slightly before speaking to the maid. "Very well. Have you alerted Lady Celebrían yet that our visitors have arrived?"

"Aye, my lord, she is the one who bid me to come tell you," the maid replied.

"Elladan and Elrohir?" He questioned, walking towards the door where the maid stood.

"They are nowhere to be seen, my lord. Lady Celebrían said they were with Lord Celeborn, but he has since returned without them," she said and stepped out of the door, letting him pass by her.

Elrond nodded his head and smiled slightly. "I had imagined that they would disappear when our guests would arrive."

The maid laughed, "They have become very proficient at disappearing for everything, if I may say so, my lord."

"You may say so," Elrond chuckled, motioning for her to walk with him down the long corridors. "However, I wish that they would outgrow it."

She nodded her head and smiled, as they both found Celebrían standing at the exit of the house waiting for Elrond to arrive. The maid looked between both of them and sighed, bending in a slight curtsy. "I will go make a final check to see that the guest suites are ready for the visitors."

"Thank you," he replied and turned to Celebrían. "Where are your sons?"

"Where do you think they are?" Celebrían asked, raising a challenging eyebrow. "You know where they go when they do not wish to be seen."

Elrond sighed heavily, "Remind me to speak with them about this. They are fifty now, they should not behave like children."

"You could not punish them even if your life depended upon it, meleth," she said with a soft smile. "You love your sons too much. And I do recall another, much older and wiser ellon who is rather proficient at hiding from my mother."

He laughed, "You forget Erestor, meleth. I hide from him as well."

Elrond gazed out of the opening the stood before, watching Glorfindel greet Galdor quickly and exchange a few words. Glorfindel then noticed the elleth standing nearby, and Elrond could see his face drop. The young elleth shifted uncomfortably after she saw the look upon his face. He would have to speak to Glorfindel about doing such things around her and then asking about her father in such a displeased way. Elrond had found it hard to believe that any child of Círdan could act in such ways that Nenvír did, but he had seen how controlling and angry he was at many councils. Had this been why Círdan was so insistent on his granddaughter coming to Imladris to learn from him?

The thought angered him, if that was the case, that someone would treat their own child in such a way that she was better sent to Imladris than remaining with her family.

He sighed again and watched as Glorfindel redeemed himself with a truly sincere smile to the child, welcoming her to Imladris. Elrond watched as the Elfling curtsied lowly, her eyes remaining fixed on the ground even after she had straightened herself up from her show of respect. If anything was certain, this elleth was very, very timid to not even be able look at Glorfindel. Everyone was able to gaze upon Glorfindel, something that had chagrinned Elrond for many years now.

"She looks very much like Lord Círdan." Celebrían said, slipping her arm in his.

Elrond nodded his head, looking over the very obviously Sindar elleth. Her hair was such a pale blonde it looked almost white, though her skin was darker than most of her kind, but that was to be expected with her residence at the Havens. All of the Falathrim had darker skin than most, which almost looked peculiar with their light silver-blonde hair. But he had to agree with Celebrían, the elleth looked much more like Círdan than her father, though she still retained a great femininity about her.

"She looks so fearful, Elrond," Celebrían said quietly, gazing at her, "No Elfling her age acts like that. They are nearly always playful and gregarious, curious about everything. Look at our sons."

"Our sons are oddities, Celebrían," Elrond replied with a smile. "But you must take into account who her grandfather is. He is very controlled and quiet much of the time. And secondly, I would not be one to pass up the idea that her father has had something to do with this."

She sighed, "I suppose you are right, meleth. We should not even be drawing conclusions yet, I think. She is far from her home, and is probably very frightened about that. Let us go down to welcome her."

He glanced at her and started down the stairs, Celebrían following closely. When they finally stood before her, and he welcomed the Elfling to Imladris, she responded with a quiet thank you. Her remained fixed on the ground, Elrond growing slightly more angry. This was more than the elleth being frightened by her surroundings. Just the feeling he was receiving from her, told him that this behavior was often expected of her elsewhere, even if there was a degree of nervousness as well.

Celebrían dropped her arm from his and stepped in front of him. She placed her fingers beneath the child's chin and lifted so that her eyes were finally visible to them. Celebrían smiled warmly, and placed her hand on Silaerín's cheek. "Come with me, pen neth. You must be weary of your travels and in need of rest."

Silaerín did not reply, but another older elleth stepped forward. "I am her handmaid, my lady. I should tend to her."

"Do not worry," Celebrían replied with another smile. "You are probably weary as well. My handmaids will see that you are taken care of."

Elrond sighed as he watched his wife disappear with the child. This was going to take some time to get to the bottom of the Elfling's problems, but he would do just that. Círdan had foresight, and must have known that by sending her here she would receive just what she needed to break her of her timid nature and nurture her in an accepting environment.

He turned to Glorfindel and Galdor, "Welcome, Galdor!"

"Thank you, my lord," Galdor replied. "It is always a joy to travel here."

Elrond joined them. "Please, go take your leave now. I wish to speak to you about some things not having to do with state, but it can wait until later this evening after the meal."

Galdor nodded his head, and bowed his head slightly. "My lord, I know what it is you wish to ask me about, and I will tell you as much as I can. However, I will now take you up on the offer for rest. It has been a long journey."

The Elf left Elrond and Glorfindel standing alone, and Elrond turned to his advisor. "Did you sense that the child's behavior was odd?"

"I did, Elrond." Glorfindel nodded his head. "But I should say I expected as much. You have seen the way Nenvír acts."

"Aye, that is true," Elrond agreed and looked towards the house. "Well, I shall be heading back. There is still much work to be done before the meal."

---

Hithaeglir- Sindarin name of Misty Mountains.

Ellon/ellyn- male Elf (s)

Elleth/ellyth- female Elf (s)

Mae Govannen- Well met.

Mellon nin- my friend.

Meleth- love

Pen neth- little one, young one

More on age: 33 Elvish years would equal 12 Human according to my calculations.

Calendar: In Rivendell Reckoning (the Elvish calendar). So this date corresponds to Feb.11, the beginning of the season of "Stirring".

A/N: Sorry about the long wait, life has been absolutely crazy lately. In notes for this chapter: At the time of this chapter, Galadriel and Celeborn were not yet the rulers of Lothlórien. It has been suggested that they stayed in Imladris for a good amount of time after the marriage of Celebrían and Elrond, as they lived rather nomadic lives, not having a realm of their own to reside in.


	3. Imladris: The Spies of Imladris

Chapter 2- Imladris: The Spies of Imladris

"Tell me, muindor nín, why have we decided to hide in here?" Elladan asked, turning his head to the side, discerning his brother's form in the dark wardrobe they had stuffed themselves into only a few minutes earlier. "We are getting entirely too old for this."

Elrohir glanced at his brother, "We are in here because the bathing room does not offer a good vantage point and the trellis outside the side window is too spindly to hold both of us."

Elladan sighed and continued to peek through the slight crack in the doors. "That is not what I meant. Why are we even trying to spy on the guest? Ada would be appalled if he knew we were in here."

"You worry so much about our Adar, and yet you forget what Naneth is like if she finds us misbehaving." Elrohir snipped, "And let us not even get started on what Iauradar and Iaurnaneth would do if they knew we spied on them sometimes."

Elladan chuckled lightly. "You do not think that they can sense that someone is watching them, Elrohir?"

Elrohir shrugged his shoulders and was quiet for a long while before letting out a low laugh. "I doubt they could sense much of anything when we happened upon them the last time."

"True," the elder twin replied, resting back against the sturdy wall of the oaken wardrobe. He shifted his legs slightly, trying desperately to stretch them, if even by a small bit. They were cramping quickly for remaining in this hunched position for so long. "Next time, I think we should just greet guests in the way Ada and Nana wished us to. We _are_ too old for this."

"I thought you were keen on this idea for seeing if she was a beautiful Elf maiden like Glorfindel said she would be." Elrohir grumbled quietly and shoved his brother slightly, causing Elladan to fall into the corner of the small cubby and bump his forehead on a clothing hook.

"Yrch 'waur!" Elladan exclaimed, rubbing his forehead and continuing with a long string of particularly unflattering Elvish and Dwarvish curses.

Elrohir clasped a hand over Elladan's wildly moving mouth, silencing him quickly. "They are at the door. Be quiet!"

Elladan angrily pushed away his brother's hand. He hastily shifted so he could see through the crack between the two doors, pushing Elrohir out of the way. Most times, having a twin brother was one of the best perks in all of the world, but at times it could become quite bothersome, even if they were always joined at the hip, no matter how they felt about each other at any given moment.

The door opened to the guest suite, and he saw that their mother stood at the door, motioning for her companion to enter the room. Elladan waited to catch a glimpse of this elleth whom Glorfindel had said would probably be beautiful beyond words. Before, they would not have cared about the beauty of an elleth, but recently he and Elrohir had been taking a greater notice in these things. They came to realize in a short time the true loveliness of ellyth, and now it was often hard for them to stop thinking about such things.

Finally, he beheld the elleth, and no words could describe how much of a let-down it had been. Here he had been suspecting an elleth at least their age, but they were hosts to one only half their age. Elladan moved out of the way for Elrohir, murmuring, "She is but an Elfling! I am now almost certain Glorfindel said those things on purpose, to test us. To see what we would do."

Elrohir looked through the crack in the door and let out a heavy sigh. "She is still very pretty, though, in a young child sort of way... with her round cheeks."

"I wonder if she is really Lord Círdan's granddaughter like Glorfindel said she was," Elladan continued more loudly thank he should have, glancing out of the crack. "Perhaps adorably young is a better description."

"Dîn!" Elrohir hissed lowly. "We will be caught."

Elladan was silent and tried to maneuver into the most comfortable position he could, waiting for the ellyth to make their way back into the main sleeping chamber. He heard their mother ask, "Would you care to bathe, pen neth? Or would you care for me to help with your aches?"

In the position he was sitting in, Elladan could just see out of the crack from under Elrohir's arm. The small elleth looked up at their mother, and Elladan found that she had bright, large eyes that seemed to convey a great story without even having to verbalize such things. "I do not think you will be able to help me, my lady. Mílwen, my nursemaid, has tried to heal me, but to no avail."

Celebrían laughed, "Dear child, let me try. If I cannot, then Lord Elrond will be able to heal you. He is very skilled in such things."

"Really, my lady, it is not bad," the elleth said.

Elladan found something rather odd about this young elleth. She seemed rather scared for the situation, the way she kept casting her eyes to the ground and darting her eyes away from their mother's persistent gaze. It almost seemed that the elleth thought that if she gazed directly into his mother's eyes, she would be harmed in some way. Maybe ellyth from Mithlond acted in such ways, but he could not convince himself of that. There was something definitely unusual about this rather reserved little Elfling.

"Then I shall call for a warm bath," Celebrían replied, bending down to the elleth's eye level. "And place soothing salts in the water. That should help you a bit since you will not allow me to heal you."

"Thank you, my lady," the elleth said.

Their mother smiled warmly, and carefully brushed back strands of the elleth's very pale blonde hair behind her ears. "Silaerín, I would like it very much if you would call me Celebrían. We are both ladies of high houses, therefore we should be considered equal."

Silaerín, as their mother had called her, sighed heavily and finally looked directly at their mother. "My lady, you are born of a higher house than me. And even if we are of high houses, you are still my elder."

Celebrían let out a high, lyrical laugh. She sighed, "I appreciate your respect and propriety, Silaerín, but I do not rely heavily upon those things. You may call me as you wish, though I would prefer Celebrían. I will be back shortly with the salts and someone to draw your bath."

With that, their mother disappeared out of the door and the Elfling looked around the large room for a few moments before running her hands along the thin velvet bedcovers. She sat down on the large bed and let out a long sigh from her lips, muttering lowly, "I cannot believe I am actually here."

Elladan smiled to himself as the elleth lay back on the bed. Well, the least they could do now instead of woo her, was to watch after her. Whether Elrohir wanted to do that or not, Elladan appointed them her protectors. Now if only they could find a way out of this cubbyhole...

The elleth sat up quickly, and looked around the room again, a large smile playing on her face as she jumped off of the bed. She walked over to the far wall and ran her fingers along the carven wood of various objects. He felt Elrohir tense up considerably as she moved closer to the wardrobe. Elladan silently prepared himself for how he was going to handle this in a tactful manner, when she came by the wardrobe and started to investigate like she had the other things in the room.

Nothing could compare to the relief he felt as she passed the wardrobe, only letting her hands travel across the wooden frame and doors, then continuing on. He felt himself sigh in a relieved manner, though he was sure it had not been loud. However, the elleth stopped on her trek, remaining remarkably still as she listened to the air around her. Well, this was it. They would be found out before they could even try to make an escape while she was in her bath.

Slowly, the elleth came back to the wardrobe, placed her hands on the knobs and let out a heavy sigh before pulling the doors wide open. She jumped back quickly, her hands shooting up to cover her mouth in an effort to stifle the surprised yelp that found its way to her lips. Her eyes were wide with disbelief, and she took a few more steps backwards, her legs hitting the bed and throwing her off balance enough that she fell onto her backend. She clearly had not been expecting something like this to happen.

Elladan carefully unfolded himself from the position he was in, stepping out of the furniture before Elrohir. They hastily smoothed out their clothing and looked at her for a long while, trying to figure out what would be best to say in their defense.

"A-are you Lord Elrond's sons?" she stuttered.

Elladan sighed, nodding his head. "We are. I am Elladan."

Elrohir closed the doors to the furniture and finally looked at her. "And I, Elrohir."

"Elladan and Elrohir." She said, letting the names roll off her tongue. The strange lilt in her voice made the names sound more lyrical to Elladan, which he considered proof that the Falathirm were the better singers of all the Eldar. After she took a few more calming breaths, the elleth met his eyes, holding his gaze for some time before moving on to Elrohir. He found this rather odd, as she had barely been able to look his mother in the eye before, but with them she could. The elleth glanced at him again. "You both look so much alike."

So that was what she was doing- trying to find some difference in their facial features so that the next time she looked upon them, she would easily tell them apart. However, he was sure that she would still have some trouble distinguishing between them until she had spent a little more time with them. After all, their own i parents /i still had trouble doing it, and it provided for quite the inconvenient time when he was being scolded for something Elrohir had done.

Of course, most of the time whatever was done wrong was usually a joint venture, as they were nearly always together. But it annoyed him to no end that the better-behaved twin was always in trouble and Elrohir was not. He could not blame his parents though, it was he who was always the one caught in the midst of these so-called offenses red-handed, because he always there trying to sort out what had happened and cleaning up the mess before it was found.

"Aye, to most it is difficult to tell us apart," Elrohir answered.

Elladan held her gaze for a moment longer before she quickly looked away from him and down towards the ground, reverting to her shy and fearful self again. Perhaps he could try to engage her with conversation. "What are you called, my lady?"

"S-Silaerín," she spoke quietly.

"Welcome, my lady Silaerín." Elladan smiled, taking a few steps toward her. She met his eyes with a surprised glance now that he stood before her, and he reached for her right hand. He bowed over her small, feminine hand and placed a polite kiss upon her fingers before stepping back again.

Silaerín looked more shocked now, if that was at all possible, but watched him intently as he stepped back and beside Elrohir. She was about to muster up her courage enough to speak to them- he could hear that by the deep, calming breath she took before opening her mouth- but the door to her chambers opened. Elladan felt his heart skip a beat when he the sound of the door creaking open found his ears, realizing he and Elrohir had completely forgotten about making a quick escape. He glanced towards the entrance and found that it was their mother making her way back.

Elladan waited for her to notice them, and when she did, she stopped suddenly in her path, looking between them. Her shoulders dropped and she asked, "What do you think you are doing in the bed chamber of our guest?"

"We were just introducing ourselves, Nana." Elrohir spoke first.

"You had a chance to do that when she first arrived," she said, a look of motherly frustration fixing upon her face. "Where were you then? How did you get in here?"

Elladan thought quickly, trying to come up with a decent excuse, but it was to no avail. He knew they were caught and that she would know they were originally in the room spying upon Silaerín. However, as their mother began to speak again, this time to remand them to their father rather than continuing to question them in such a way that they would dig themselves into a deeper hole, Silaerín stepped forward.

"My lady," the young elleth spoke quietly, but gained everyone's attention.

"Yes, Silaerín?" Their mother asked.

Silaerín's gaze darted back and forth between Elladan and Elrohir, and then landed on their mother. She began again, "My lady... please do not punish them. It was I who asked them into my chamber. I do ache horribly, and I wished to sit down while they introduced themselves. They have been nothing but polite."

He was stunned. Absolutely stunned. Elladan never thought he would hear this many words from Silaerín in a long while, much less that the sweet and innocent elleth would actually lie to her hosts over such a thing. But he and Elrohir were nowhere near dim-witted, and took blessings when they were lucky enough to acquire them. Their mother gave Silaerín an appraising glance, a knowing smile spreading across her features. Elladan could easily tell that their mother knew exactly what had happened, from this expressions, but Celebrían glanced at Elrohir and him suspiciously, another smile crossing her face. Somehow, she always did, but on this occasion, he felt as though she would let them get away with this.

Their mother glanced at them and sighed, "It is best if you go now and prepare for the evening meal. We will discuss this later."

They did not have to be asked twice, and swiftly disappeared outside the chambers, closing the door as they left. Elrohir let out a breath of relief. "I thought we were goners."

"As did I," Elladan replied. "Why do you think she lied for us?"

"I know not why she lied for us, Elladan," his younger brother spoke, and looked at him. "Perhaps it was the show of courtliness you gave her that made her act in such a way."

He laughed, "I doubt that very much. Even with that, she was still incredibly withdrawn. I had not imagined she would speak, much less lie."

Elrohir nodded is head. "Well, whatever it was that made her do it, we still will owe her our unending gratitude."

"Aye, I agree," Elladan said. "Maybe we should proclaim ourselves protectors of the lady?"

Elrohir smiled. "Yes, muindor. I believe that will happen regardless of her deed, but we will still owe her something in return. We will think on it."

Little did either of them know, that from this day forward, they would forever be her protectors, taking a specific interest in her for more than the reason that she was handy in a tight situation, yet very different would these reasons be for each twin.

* * *

Once out of her bath, and dressed for the evening, Silaerín decided that she would take a tour of the house herself without anyone showing her where she needed to go. Celebrían had stopped in the dining hall earlier, on their way to the guest suite, to explain to Silaerín where she should end up, should she choose to go exploring later on. However, no matter how much she tried to memorize her surroundings, she still felt very disoriented now that she was walking through the winding, open-air halls about the house. She wound her way down a short staircase, and slowed her pace, finding that there were magnificent, finely detailed paintings and tapestries on the walls. She paused to survey one tapestry with gold and silver threads in an intricate vine pattern, roses of different colors on stems of green at the bottom of the cloth. With a smile to herself, she moved on to the next painting, reminding herself that she would have to find this rose garden she had heard so much about from Galdor, though she would wait for the morning light.

The sound of soft talking found her ears, and she stopped again, trying to discern who it was that was speaking. It was Lord Elrond who spoke, but beyond that, she could not concentrate on who the owners of the voices were when she heard her father's name mentioned. Quietly, she moved closer to the voices, finding that they were coming from the room to the side, the door not closed entirely to block out unwanted listeners. Silaerín debated if she should even stay and listen, knowing it was wholly dishonorable to do so because she had not been invited to take part in the conversation in the first place. Besides that, she had already used up her good graces for the day by telling Celebrían that little white lie about her sons.

Silaerín sighed, remembering her introduction to the twins, and then let a large smile cross her face. Never had she suspected such an interesting entrance, but it had nearly made her day perfect. They were truly wonderful, even if they were slightly misbehaved and liked to spy on people from their wardrobes. She had thought it was particularly funny that two grown ellyn would cram themselves into such a small space as a wardrobe, but it must have been important to them to do such a thing without her knowledge, as though they were trying to figure her out before they even met her. Despite this, she had found the potential for many interesting times ahead, especially by the way Celebrían talked about them, and possibly even two Elves she could eventually open up to and form a lasting relationship with.

As a matter of fact, she felt like that about all the Elves she had met thus far in Imladris. They were all so welcoming, and Celebrían was especially amazing. Silaerín did not know what mothers were supposed to be like, her mother passing over sea before Silaerín had even been alive for one year, but she was sure that Celebrían was how they were supposed to act.

Nearly forgetting why she had come to eavesdrop on the conversation, Silaerín started to move away from the door, but was pulled back in by the mention of her father's name again. The temptation that was clearly too large now, and her need to know about everything that was going on around her, anchored her into place.

"...her father did this to her?" came Elrond's strong, but perturbed voice.

There was a sigh from another Elf in the room. "My lord, he did not intend on making her like this. No Elf intends on doing such things, but over time, and after losing his wife Alphril over the Sea, he could not help it. He smothers Silaerín and constantly lowers her spirit by telling her she does things wrong so that she will not be inclined to leave him. He is trying to make it so that she does not have a taste of independence. Nenvír has not said so much, but it is obvious. He fears that should she get this independence, then she will end up like her mother."

Silaerín realized that it was Galdor speaking, but what he was saying was quite startling to her. Her father acted like he did towards her because he wanted to protect her? It was so preposterous, it just might have been true.

"Then why is she here?" Elrond asked. "How did Nenvír find the ability to let her go?"

"He did not," Galdor responded quietly. He remained silent for a few moments before continuing. "Nenvír told Lord Círdan that she was not to go when he learned of the plans to send her here."

"I cannot believe that Lord Círdan sent her then," Elrond replied. "He is older and wiser than any other Elf... How did she make it past Nenvír then?"

Galdor sighed again, "Nenvír was sent away to the coast to deal with a problem with ship building. And that was when Círdan asked me to accompany Silaerín. The relationship between Círdan and Nenvír is not the best as of late."

Galdor was not here on anything that needed to be discussed between their two realms? He had only been sent as her accompaniment?

"You should know, Lord Elrond, that Silaerín has always been a quiet and shy Elfling, but the way Nenvír deals with his pain, adds to the way she acts. Nenvír is not entirely the root of the problem," Galdor continued. "Sometimes I think she is so frightened that there is no way that she can helped."

It was then Lord Elrond's turn to sigh heavily. "We will offer a nurturing environment for her, and see what we can accomplish. I have dealt with much more difficult cases than she is bound to be. Celebrían has already made it her prerogative to take Silaerín under her wing."

Silaerín backed away from the door slowly, having heard enough about her father for one evening. On some level she had always known this was why her father acted, but it was never a good enough reason for her to believe. It just did not make sense to her, as it apparently did not make sense to Lord Elrond either. Though, she counted herself lucky that she was in Imladris and Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrían were so willing to help her.

She took a few more steps backward, and ran into a rather solid wall-like structure. Two hands grabbed onto her upper arms to steady her, and she turned quickly to see who she needed to apologize to. Standing behind her was none other than Elladan, and to his side, Elrohir. Elladan smiled evilly and whispered, "Now I know why you lied for us earlier, my lady. Because you do a good amount of spying as well."

"Oh goodness," she said, feeling the heat of a blush creep to her cheeks.

Elrohir laughed lightly, "We will discuss an alliance tomorrow when you are rested, and we will not tell a soul that you have been spying."

"But in the meanwhile," Elladan took her arm and placed it in his, "we will escort you to the evening meal."

* * *

Muindor nin- my brother

Adar/Ada- Father/Dad

Naneth/Nana- Mother/Mom

Iauradar/naneth- Grandfather/mother

Yrch 'waur- Dirty Orc!

Dîn!- Be silent!

_A/N: In the past few weeks, since the posting of Chapter 1, I have noticed a slight discrepancy in the dates and how old I have made Elladan and Elrohir at the time of this meeting. While I use the books for most of my fact checking, I was elsewhere and incapable of locating these books when I wrote this. On several sites, it explains Elladan and Elrohir as being born in the year 130 of the Third Age, so I used that as a base date. However, upon looking back at the_ **Appendix of Return of the King**_, and much to my annoyance, I found that they were born as of the year 139. To those dedicated Tolkienites, this is a discrepancy integral to the story line, so it will not be changed. As of this part in the story, Elladan and Elrohir were born of the 130th year of the Third Age, and are 53 years old. Besides that, they are 23.5 Human, so they mature more quickly than Elves._

Feedback is always appreciated, whether it be good or of the critical kind. I would like to extend a thank you thus far to those who have taken the time out to review. It makes this process a lot easier when I am getting advice and/or 'keep it going' reviews.


	4. Imladris: River Weasels

Chapter 3- Imladris: River Weasels

The following day dawned bright and exceptionally welcoming. Through the numerous windows and open walls within her chambers, came the warming rays of sunlight, begging her to follow them outside. Being the obliging elleth she was to such requests, Silaerín slipped out of her chambers and found herself ambling along a stone pathway through dense green foliage, enjoying the new morning. She leisurely breathed in the crisp, cool and clean air, filling her lungs until they felt as though they would burst, and then let the air out through her lips.

After doing the slow inhale and exhale of the air a few more times, she found that even the qualities of the air were different here. It was not something she had particularly noticed upon her arrival, but now in the unsullied air of morning, it was more evident. The atmosphere was thin and made her breathe in more deeply to get the amount needed to sustain every breath. It had no scent, but that of a faint tangy-sweet one that permeated from the leaves and bark of the trees, and sharply contrasting to the often times old, stale sea air of the Havens. Beyond that, the climate was invigorating and restorative to her, not unbearably warm and clammy like most days in Mithlond, even during the coolest parts of the year.

Finally, she came upon a babbling stream of water. The strong current assaulted protruding rocks with water, gurgling and splashing ever so slightly. Small silver and white fish appeared iridescent in the crystal clear water as the sunrays shone down on them and refracted on the rippling stream. Silaerín sat upon a large flat rock that dipped slightly into the river and was under the half-shade of a great willow tree. The faint chirping of birds in their morning songs and the rustle of the wind blowing through the trees brought a great joy to her heart. This was as serene and calming as her spot on the beach in Mithlond, but it definitely was a different type of calming effect.

She inched forward on the rock, sticking her toes into the water, finding that it was rather cool, but still lovely. Gazing off down the river, she saw a duck floating in the distance, his head brilliant emerald green and his breast a rich purple. He paddled along, and paused to float in the current for a few moments before dipping his head into the water to collect some food from beneath him. The duck righted himself and shook his head slightly, sending tiny rivulets of water around him.

A dark flash beside her caught her attention, and she turned quickly to find an odd looking creature rolling out onto the green grass. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. The head of the downy chestnut-colored animal was broad and flat, with short, rounded ears. Upon his blunt snout, long, thick whiskers protruded and twitched as he sniffed the air around him. He stood on short, but powerful, legs, his feet webbed and clawed. Letting out a low grunt, he beat his long tail on the ground. When that apparently did not receive the attention he wanted, he let out a loud yelp, which sounded more like a taunt than anything else. Then, the tall plants that the first one had tumbled from rustled, and out came another creature just like the first with a great stumble. The second stood up after a few moments of catching his bearings and jumped quickly, tackling the other to the ground.

The first animal's sleek body allowed for his escape and soon both were frolicking about in the water, swooping around easily with and against the current. After awhile of this, and seemingly tired, they each pilfered a tiny mollusk and small stone from the bottom of the river. While floating along on their backs, they worked adeptly at opening the shell with the rock and feasted on the meal inside. Whatever these creatures were, Silaerín knew she liked them already for their playful natures.

Silaerín let out a long sigh and hugged her legs close to her body as she turned her attention from the now-lounging creatures, sunning themselves on two rocks in the center of the stream. Could any place be more perfect than this? She was not sure she would ever be able to leave Imladris, much less this wonderful spot, without feeling like part of her life was taken away from her. And she had only been here for one day! Not even one full day!

The morning moved on around her as she sat gazing across the river into the thicket and pondering how things would be different now that she was away from Mithlond. Not entirely sure how long she had been sitting upon this rock, she heard the under-foot crunch of someone or something approaching her. Silaerín turned to see that it was Lord Elrond taking a leisurely stroll with one of his advisors, the one she thought to be Erestor. They were deep in conversation over something, in a language she could not quite understand, but knew well as the tongue of Men. Elrond said something with an air of finality to it, and the advisor slightly bowed his head and swiveled on his feet to walk soundlessly back in the opposite direction.

Elrond glanced at her as he walked, and smiled warmly. She had not pictured him to be much of a smiling and happy Elf, but, she figured, anyone would be overjoyed to dwell in such a place as Imladris, much less maintain lordship over the land. Today, she noted that the Elf-lord was without his circlet around his head, and some of his long, dark hair had been fastened back in a braid of some sort. He also seemed less weighted with heavy robes of excess fabric, though he still wore a robe over his tunic and leggings. Perhaps it was because the day's cares had yet settle on his shoulders that made him appear so happy.

Whatever the reason, he came to her and she began to stand to give a proprietress bow to her host and lord, but he motioned for her to stay sitting. He smiled again, "You cannot go around Imladris thinking you should bow to every Elf you see. It really is superfluous to many of us, and especially not required of anyone who resides here in Imladris. As long as there is respect, then you need not show it."

"But your advisor just bowed to you, my lord," Silaerín spoke, surprising herself that she said this and quickly looked away from him.

Elrond chuckled, "You will come to know Erestor and his proclivities. And bowing to others is just one of them. But you should also note that he is a very serious one, and does not take much for granted. That is why he is so valuable as my counsel. He and Glorfindel balance each other."

Silaerín laughed at that... really and truly laughed from the pit of her belly... and it was something she had not done for a long while. And she found herself now in a position of having a easy talk with Elrond, knowing that he was not going to be anything like other males she lived with. "My lord, do your advisors know you speak of them in such ways?"

"I need not speak it. They know it very well themselves," Elrond replied and gracefully sat down on the rock beside her. "You speak as though you are much wiser than you look, my lady. Perhaps it is your grandfather whom you get that from? "

"I have only had thirty-three begetting days, my lord. So it certainly must have to do with something other than my age and limited knowledge of this world. It could be my grandfather's influence," Silaerín spoke, looking back out at the stream. She found it so easy to talk to Elrond, as long as she did not need to maintain eye contact the entire time. "He is very wise."

"I will not disagree with you, Silaerín. Lord Círdan has been a most wonderful ally to all the peoples of this world because of that," Elrond smiled and followed her gaze towards to the creatures lounging on submerged rock in the stream. "But it is true, you have much to learn. Though, I am sure you are the most mature Elfling I have met in a long while."

"I do not know about that, but I am sure I am certainly the most quiet Elfling you have met," she said softly, letting a sigh escape her lips.

"It is a nice change from the chatter and boisterousness of my sons," he chuckled.

Silaerín looked up at him, "They are not boisterous, my lord. My cousins in Mithlond are disruptive and disobedient. Elladan and Elrohir most definitely are not."

"Let us speak of Elladan and Elrohir for a few moments." Elrond said, "My lady wife has told me that she found them in your chambers upon your arrival?"

"Aye, my lord," she replied, feeling the heat of a blush creep to her cheeks and she looked away in an effort to hide that fact. "They only wished to welcome me."

He gazed down at her for a long while, in a judging sort of way, though it was not harsh and was along the same lines as what Lady Celebrían had done the evening before during said incident. "How did they get into your chambers, Silaerín?"

She glanced quickly at him, but did not meet his eyes. She made the first lie the previous evening, so she had to keep with this one going and protect Elladan and Elrohir's secret. After all, they were not telling Lord Elrond of her eavesdropping incident, which was something she would rather no one know about. "I invited them in because I ached horribly from the riding and needed to sit."

"I know that after riding upon the back of a horse for any amount of time does not make wish to sit because of aching limbs and muscles. I would much rather walk." Elrond sighed, "My lady, if you are worried that they will be punished, then they will not. It is best to have a clear conscience. That also helps with the ability your grandfather has written to me about."

"I am sorry, my lord." Silaerín slumped her shoulders, but was excited at the knowledge Lord Elrond knew something about the things she had recently been noticing about herself.

"Now, can you tell me where they were hiding this time?" Elrond asked, an oddly soothing tone coming from his mouth, though she could sense what was going through his mind.

She asked innocently, "This time, my lord?"

"You are not the first guest they have spied on." Elrond smiled, "They have even been known to spy on their grandparents."

"They were in the wardrobe, my lord," Silaerín said and turned back to her creatures on the rocks. Elladan and Elrohir spied on Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel? She had yet to meet these two high Elves, but she could not even imagine spying on them even if they were her grandparents.

He let out a long sigh, and shook his head in defeat. However, he let out a low laugh. "Really, the wardrobe? I am surprised they fit into the space."

She giggled, "They were tightly packed in when I discovered them."

Elrond shook his head again in dismay, but the smile remained on his lips. Silaerín wondered if Celebrían would appreciate that her husband found this whole situation amusing as she had been quiet angry the previous day. Though, deciding that it was not her place to worry about such things, she quickly pushed the thought from her mind. Maybe it was just the fact that she was so used to her grandfather acting like Elrond, then having her father come along and disagree with everything that she thought this.

Her thoughts were shifted though as the brown creatures submerged themselves in the water again, and began playing like they had earlier. She motioned out to the stream, "My lord, what are those creatures called?"

"You mean to say you have seen no such creatures in Mithlond?" Elrond asked. "They have cousins in the Sea. These, however, are called river weasels, or otters. And those two have been named Nad Min and Nad Tad."

"Who named them, my lord?" she questioned with a laugh, gazing at the otters.

He sighed, the otters moving closer to them, and a great splash of water was displaced from the stream and landed on the rock in from of them as one of the creatures dove into the water. "I believe it was my sons who named them. I will have to warn their wives that they should be aided when it comes to naming their children."

She smiled and brushed back a few strands of hair that had fallen in her eyes. "I thought that it was the sole right of the father to give his child their first name, especially in the customs of your people. That is at least what my tutors explained to me when they were teaching me of Lady Galadriel."

"My family has many people from whom we can draw our customs from. It i is /i a tradition of the Noldor, but that does not mean that we hold true to form," Elrond chuckled lightly. "Lord Celeborn gave Galadriel her Sindarin name out of necessity because Elu Thingol forbade the usage of Quenya."

"That makes perfect sense, and sense that my tutors were not quite able to explain," Silaerín said.

He looked at her for a long while, growing very quiet and pensive. Silaerín felt extremely self-conscious then and turned her attention away from him. This gaze reminded her of what her grandfather was so fond of doing when he was trying to glean some information as to what had gone on during her lessons or after there had been a misunderstanding with her father. And the best she could describe this certain look was something that spoke of worry and disbelief for the situation. Perhaps it was what one would call a fatherly look? One of knowing something was terribly wrong, but not being able to think of a way to deal with the problem.

"Well, I would understand if they were not to teach of the Noldor, there are long, horrible histories that your grandfather remembers," Elrond said finally, as though he were trying to get more information before assuming anything.

"My lord, it is not that my tutors could not teach it," Silaerín said. "My grandfather has done everything to make sure that I learn as much as I can, though our histories of the Noldor are limited. It is the conditions in which my tutors try to teach me that prohibits any decent explanations."

"The conditions, Silaerín? I do not think I understand," he replied.

She glanced up at him and let a long sigh out. "My cousins ask too many questions. Questions that are not necessarily conducive to learning anything beneficial to our knowledge. And my brother would rather spend time being punished by the tutors for not learning his required lesson."

Elrond furrowed his brows, and pursed his lips. "And your grandfather allows this to go on? I am sorry if I act as though I am exceptionally dimwitted, but I know your grandfather, and I know he would never allow such things to happen."

"My father is in charge of lessons, my lord," Silaerín said. "I believe that my grandfather would change it if he could, but even I, as a young elleth, know that taking that duty away from my father would not be wise. The only way he could change anything was by sending me here, and away from the interruptions of my family in Mithlond. He said that besides what I could learn here, I would also be sent for some reason that could influence another person or myself. Some greater reason that I do not know of."

He smiled warmly, and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "You wish to know what that is?"

"I do, my lord," Silaerín said. Oh how she hoped that her voice was not dripping with anticipation for the answer that she had been trying to figure out since she left the Havens. She did not wish to appear too desperate for an answer.

"As much as I would like to give you the reason, Silaerín, I do not have one," he replied. "No one can really know what change you were sent to make, and what type of change that was meant to be... besides your grandfather perhaps. It could be in regards to your father. Or it could have something to do with one of us here in Imladris. But if there is one comforting thought I can offer, it would be that everyone is sent to this land from Aman for a greater purpose. No matter how small their influence in this world may be, they are here for some reason or another whether it be great or small. And we all live with that unknowing as to when and where our influence will take hold."

Silaerín nodded her head and gazed out at the stream again. "I suppose I must wait then."

"My lady, it will do you no good to sit around and wait for this thing to come to you. You must go find it yourself." He stood from his spot, dusted himself off and walked to the line of plant life surrounding the stream. Stopping, he looked back at her. "I believe what your grandfather is trying to tell you by sending you here is that you cannot change or influence anything if you just sit on the shores and wait for life to happen. It is what you put into the life through experiences and the relationships you have with others that make the Elf. Life is not entirely what you can learn from books, in the safety of the words on the pages. It is about taking risks. And it is those risks and the interactions with others that shape the situation in which your influence will be seen."

He paused again when he was only a few more steps away. "Do not forget about the welcoming celebration we are having for you and your fellow Falathrim this eve."

"I will not, my lord," she responded. Silaerín watched him as he walked back along the path he had come, his final statements resting in her head. What Lord Elrond had said was startling to her... that he would come out so quickly and with this ultimatum of taking risks, but she figured she needed that. It did not matter how much she liked to sit on the beach and drown her fears and insecurities in the waves on the shores of Mithlond, or now here by the stream and allowing the otters to occupy her, she knew it was time to become a different person. If there was going to be influence from her in any matter of great importance in the future, she needed to change herself first and foremost.

And she knew Imladris was just the place that would aide her in becoming the elleth she wished to be.

---

Nad Min- Thing One

Nad Tad- Thing Two (My homage to the great Dr. Suess)

meal.


	5. Imladris: Eternally Bound In Reprobation

Chapter 4- Imladris: Eternally Bound (In Reprobation)

"Good, good Elrohir."

Elladan watched as his brother smiled most wickedly at Glorfindel's praise, as though he thought he would actually win this duel with that bit of an ego boost. Neither twin could ever claim themselves better than the other, though, no matter how long or how hard they fought at any certain task. They were so much alike in every way, except for their slightly different characters, that it grew quite tiresome when they did everything exactly alike. Or was it just that they thought the same way about things, so they could adequately balance each other in every movement with opposing actions? Everything always seemed to end in a stalemate. Elladan would strike, but Elrohir's sword would be at that spot, prepared to repel the thrust before he really could even complete the swing. Every time Elrohir nailed the target squarely in the center with an arrow, Elladan was able to step up behind him and do the exact same thing on another at the exact same distance. If anything was different about them, he often drifted to the right in his shots, and Elrohir to the left. It was always like that, and they could not change it.

It often made him wonder what their father thought on the issue of having a twin. Had he ever thought these things about Elros, or Elros about him? Did they find the same problems with being essentially alike?

He blinked his eyes rapidly, remembering he was in the middle of a duel and needed to pay attention to where the sharp blade was thrust towards him, rather than wishing for things that really were not worth worrying about. He loved his brother dearly. Perhaps it was just the fact that Glorfindel was paying more attention to Elrohir's fighting than his.

Light from the afternoon sun glinted off of the polished blade as it came dangerously close to his head, but he quickly deflected it. That was close. Too close. Breathing a great sigh of relief that he had stayed the blade in enough time to remain among the living, he stepped quickly to the side, employing some of fancy footwork that they had been taught only a few days ago. Elladan could hear the exaggerated sigh come from Glorfindel after he had moved into the footwork and began parrying Elrohir's strikes enough to turn duel around to his advantage.

"Please do this Elf a favor and keep your mind on the task at hand, Elladan," Glorfindel called. "I do not wish to be the one who has to tell your father that your twin brother maimed you severely."

Elladan chuckled lowly, picturing what his father's face would look like upon hearing the news. He would pay gold to see that. Actually, he would pay gold to see the look on their mother's face. That would be priceless. And then on their grandparents' faces. Aye, that would definitely be a sight to see.

He and Elrohir continued back and forth many more times, neither never gaining on the other, as always. However, Elladan was quickly growing tired of the constant assault that he and Elrohir had been throwing at each other since this morning. "What do you say about a truce, muindor?"

Elrohir laughed, "Aye, I am getting rather weary of this. A truce until next we duel?"

"Of course," Elladan said, the first to step out of his stance and lower his sword. The younger twin stepped back and lowered his sword. Each bowed their heads in respect to each other before walking to the nearest stone bench to sit and tend to their messed hair, disheveled clothing and various small scrapes that they incurred during the fight.

"Do you think Ada will ever let us go out with the patrols?" Elrohir asked, looking at Glorfindel.

Glorfindel chuckled, "Perhaps when you are older."

"That is always the excuse he gives us," Elrohir said. "We will have seen as many seasons as Grandmother before we are allowed to see any time in battle."

"You should not worry." Glorfindel looked at both of them and shook his head. "You will see plenty in due time. And these battles will probably be the most savage anyone has seen. For now, I believe all who care for you wish you remain as safe as possible within Imladris, learning to be the lords we all hope you will turn into."

Elladan scoffed, "I know not what you are talking about, my lord, we are making great progress."

"In whose eyes?" The gold-haired Elf asked, laughing them off as he bent over to collect his bow and quiver.

Elladan shook his head and let out a long sigh, gazing off into the distance. There, along the line of trees surrounding the practice ring, he made the shape of a small elleth dressed in a pale blue gown. Even though he could not make out the facial features of the elleth, he knew exactly who it was trying to remain unnoticed such a distance away. He nudged Elrohir's side to get his attention and nodded as surreptitiously as he could manage in Silaerín's direction.

Elrohir let out a chuckle, "I believe it is time we practice our diplomatic skills."

Glorfindel glanced at each of them and followed their eyes in the direction of the tree line. "She has been there for a long while now."

Silaerín moved as quickly as she could behind the large trunk of a tree she had been leaning against, when she noticed that they were all gazing in her direction. Elladan glanced up at Glorfindel, "You said that she was a beautiful Elf maiden."

The advisor let a sly smile cross his features, "She is very beautiful. You may not see how lovely she is now, as she is still young, but should you ever meet after her stay here, you will know what I am talking about."

"But you made us believe..." Elrohir began, but let the sentence trail off when Elladan shot him a warning glance. Elladan sighed, glad that his brother had actually remembered that hiding in the wardrobe was not something that everyone needed to know about.

Glorfindel laughed, "It will do you no good to not speak of it. Your mother knows what you did, even though Silaerín has vouched for the happenings of yesterday afternoon. I still do not know why she did such a thing. It must be because she does not know both of you very well."

Elladan rolled his eyes and stood from his spot, adjusting his tunic. "We plan on letting her get better acquainted with both of us. If she then decides her vouch was not worth the trouble, she can confirm Ada and Nana's suspicions."

Glorfindel nodded his head, "Be kind to her, please. The last thing we need is Lord Círdan angry with us because we were not as hospitable as we should have been to his granddaughter."

"What do you speak of, Glorfindel?" Elrohir asked, doing the same thing Elladan had done by standing and straightening his clothes. "We are always kind."

"I trust you," the Elf lord smiled. "Please make sure you get Lady Silaerín and yourselves back at a decent time to prepare for the gathering later this evening."

Elladan smiled, "Of course."

With that, the twins started across the field. They came upon the elleth quickly, and Elrohir was the first to speak. "Good day, our fellow reprobate."

That caused a very deep crimson to spread across her cheeks and ears as she diverted her eyes to the ground. Elladan laughed at the label Elrohir had given her, but made sure to nudge his twin to let him know not to continue on that path. The last thing they needed to do now as scare her away because they had caught her doing something very innocent, but still slightly wrong, the previous eve.

"Did you rest well last eve, Silaerín?" Elladan asked.

"I did, Elladan," Silaerín answered, and seemed to be finished with her answer. But then she continued and surprised all of them, including herself. But what he could not get over was that she had easily identified which twin he was. "But only because I did not need to worry that there was anyone hiding within my wardrobe."

Elrohir chuckled, and glanced at him, "She does have a healthy bit of sarcasm, muindor."

Silaerín smiled sheepishly, but kept her eyes moving between each twin. What had happened to Silaerín over night that she had suddenly become more friendly. Granted, he could still sense that she was a long way from any amount of his and Elrohir's outspokenness, but that was fine as long as she was beginning to warm up to them.

"So what are you doing out and about this day?" Elladan asked, taking a hold of her arm and Elrohir the other.

"Enjoying the beautiful sights and tranquility of your home," Silaerín replied.

Elladan glanced at her and smiled, "And do you like it here, my lady?"

She nodded her head, "Imladris agrees with me thus far, but I worry that I may not be here for as long as I would have hoped."

"Why is that?" Elrohir asked.

"I know not," Silaerín shrugged her shoulders. "It is nothing more than a feeling I have. I suppose it could have something to do with what I overheard last eve."

Elladan nodded his head, as did Elrohir, both recalling the previous evening and having heard what their father was speaking to Galdor about. Both could not even begin to understand how one could have such a relationship with one's father, as their relationship with their father was very good. The things they had heard were slightly unsettling considering that it was Lord Círdan who was in context as the one who disobeyed Silaerín's father's wishes. In lessons, both he and Elrohir had learned a great deal about Círdan and how wise an Elf he was, and for an Elf of his standing to do something as rash as sending his granddaughter away without her father's approval did not bode well. However, they both knew it was probably better not discuss it with their father or ask questions of Silaerín unless she wanted to speak with them about it.

They were quiet as they continued to move along the paths of the city, towards the House when Elladan turned to her and asked, "Would you care to see the rose garden? That is unless you have already seen it earlier on your excursions."

"I would very much like to see the garden," Silaerín said with a bright smile upon her lips. "I only walked to the stream where the giant willow is."

"Is that where you were when our mother was searching for you earlier?" Elrohir asked.

"Aye, I must have, but your father found me," she said.

Elladan chuckled, "I do not know how he does it, but our father knows where everyone is when he wishes to speak with them."

"Especially when he receives anonymous information about our whereabouts last eve in your wardrobe." Elrohir said, looking at her closely.

She fidgeted slightly under Elrohir's gaze, making Elladan wonder if she was the one who had told their father, or if it was their mother who had been the culprit by jumping to conclusions. "It was probably your mother."

Both he and Elrohir laughed at her response as she blushed deeply and pulled away from them. She continued on up the path, toward the line of rose bushes ahead of them. They stayed within the confines of the rose garden for sometime. No one spoke or made any gesture that would require acknowledgement in any way, except for the glances each brother shared with each other as the elleth flitted about the garden happily, sniffing the fragrances of the many differently-hued roses.

The sun was just beginning to set behind the mountains when Silaerín abruptly stopped her appraisal of the flowers and various insects that were roaming about, and looked at them. She sighed, "We should be going back. My handmaiden is probably worried where I ran off to."

Elladan smiled and was the first to stand to make his way over to her in two long strides, "Then we will escort you back, though we have yet to talk of a friendly alliance."

Silaerín looked up at him with wide eyes, and then at Elrohir as soon as he joined her other side. With a small smile, she blushed, "I believe we already have one whether we have verbally agreed on it or not."

"True," Elrohir nodded.

"Then from this moment forward, we shall remain friends," Elladan proclaimed. "Even if it means us doing something as horrible as lying to parents and hosts."

Silaerín sighed and gazed up at him again, "You may rethink that when you meet my father, Elladan, but I will hold you to your word."

He and Elrohir exchanged looks of worry again, but they continued walking without saying anything. There would be another time and place more appropriate than this one to discuss what she could possible mean about her father, but they did not wish to trouble her mind now that she was in Imladris and was to enjoy herself.

* * *

Silaerín sat at the dressing table in her chambers while Mílwen worked swiftly and skillfully at plaiting her hair with a ribbon of pale silver. When she had returned from her afternoon with the twins, she found herself in an even better mood than she had after her conversation with Elrond. It could have been combination of both things that had added to her happiness, but there was something strangely different about the time she spent with Elladan and Elrohir. Of course she knew that it probably had something to do with Lord Elrond and exactly who he was; she could never see herself actually totally at ease around a Lord of his prominence. However, whatever the twins did or said, they made her feel like she was the only other person in the world besides them. Especially Elladan... as though when he were with her, nothing else mattered. All he cared about was pleasing her and making her laugh.

"You have been more quiet than usual, my lady," Mílwen spoke, meeting Silaerín's eyes in the mirror.

"I am only thinking," Silaerín attempted a smile, but it did not appear anything more than a slight trembling of her lips.

Mílwen chuckled lowly, "You certainly made fast friends with Lord Elrond's sons."

Silaerín sighed, "They are easier to make friends with than any other Elf I have ever met."

Silence passed between them as Mílwen carefully tied off the end of the braid and stepped back to admire her work. Mílwen placed her hand on her hip for a moment and then muttered something about how overjoyed she would be when she could just place a circlet on Silaerín's head and be done with it, instead of always braiding it with a ribbon. With a shake of her head, Mílwen left her to her own devices. Silaerín looked about the room, then back a herself in the mirror. What would it be like to actually wear circlet upon her head? Her mother, from what she could remember, wore very ornate pieces of different metals and often times encrusted with precious jewels. Would she ever wear those? Would she really, one day, be formally named Lady of the Havens? Would her father ever speak to her again after this journey to Imladris?

A knock at the antechamber door interrupted her thoughts, and Silaerín jumped from her seat to go to the door. She pulled the heavy wood back to find Celebrían standing there, in a gown of the deepest blue with the most intricately wrought circlet upon her head of blonde waves. Silaerín bowed slightly, "My lady."

"I thought we discussed this already," Celebrían asked with a smile playing on her lips. She extended her hand to Silaerín and said, "Come, Silaerín."

Silaerín took Celebrían's hand without question and the Lady of Imladris escorted her along the winding corridors and open paths toward the dining hall, or so Silaerín thought. But she found she was sorely mistaken when the came to an abrupt halt. On their walk, Silaerín had not paid much attention to her surroundings except for that of the happenings going on outside the open walkways. And now she was face to face with a white fabric of the most delicate make, strewn about with complex bead work.

Silaerín followed the cloth up from her eye level, and seemed that it would never end until she reached the form of a waist, then a female torso encased in a bodice of even more complexity, and then pale, smooth skin of a neck to bright, knowing eyes of blue. She wore a circlet, as well, upon her head of long tresses of pure gold. Adjusting her gaze, Silaerín then looked at the elleth's companion, who was either very short for and Elf, or the elleth was just very tall. Perhaps the elleth was the tallest she had ever seen. With a quick look, Silaerín gazed at the ellon's hair of pale blond, grey eyes, and his stern, but pleasant face. He wore a simple circlet on his brow and a most carefully sewn robe of whites and gold.

Then it hit her like a gale-force wind who she now gazed upon and stood before. And she was more than embarrassed she had acted in such a way. Silaerín quickly ducked her head into a bow, not lifting her head to hide her deep blush and also to await for some movement from the high Elves. She felt a quiver of nervousness go through her body, sufficiently affecting the way her mind controlled the rest of her body, and for a moment felt as though she would not be able to remain standing. Awestruck was not an adequate word describe this feeling.

But then she felt soft fingers beneath her chin, raising her eyes to meet another set of blue ones, much like Celebrían had only done the day before. The Lady smiled warmly and glanced at her husband. Celebrían sighed beside Silaerín, "Adar and Naneth, this is Lord Círdan's granddaughter, Silaerín."

"The Telerin is very evident in her blood," the Lady spoke softly, but confidently, and looked down at Silaerín. "She is also very much like her mother."

Silaerín felt herself smile then, involuntarily, but that was something she had always wondered. And it seemed that Lady Galadriel knew a great deal about her before they even met.

"Aye, that is true," the ellon said with a strong, authoritative voice of a deep timbre. It reminded her of her grandfather. The ellon smiled slightly, "I am Celeborn, and this is my wife, Galadriel. And I, for one, am very pleased to meet you Silaerín. A daughter of my kin."

She knew little of the amount of relation she held to Celeborn, if any, but it was nice to be welcomed in such a manner by him. Silaerín smiled, "Thank you, my lord. I am very happy to meet you as well."

More like scared out of her mind, rather than happy. Galadriel then laughed for moment, gazed deeply into Silaerín's eyes. It was said she could see deep into the hearts of others. Had she just encountered what Silaerín thought about meeting them? But just as she was about ready to start debating the issue in her head, Elrond appeared and was closely followed by his sons. Showing a sign of a great respect, and something she had not imagined the twins to do, each took their turns with a small bow to their grandfather and a short kiss upon their grandmother's cheek.

"Shall we?" Elrond asked, motioning in the direction of the dining hall for the meal. Like every other time before, Elladan and Elrohir flanked either side and took her arms to escort her along, and all made their way to the hall to share in food and good cheer.

The evening progressed quickly, from dinner, then to dancing and talking in another hall and the outlying porticos amidst the pleasant music from the Elven minstrels. Silaerín, however, found herself sitting quietly and watching the interactions. Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn were talking quietly together, Celebrían was on Elrond's arm as they discussed things with Galdor and a few of the other Imladris advisors including Glorfindel and Erestor. Mílwen was talking with some of the other ellyth who had come to the affair. Elladan and Elrohir were busy chasing around a pair of fair ellyth that were a few millennia too old for them. The other Elves in attendance either spoke with great jollity or danced about.

With a sigh, and a need for air, Silaerín stood from her seat and made a quiet, and hopefully unnoticed, disappearance out onto a side balcony. She walked for a bit down the balcony that wrapped a fourth of the way around the first level, until she could hear the music, but it was faint and mixed well with the light wind and sounds of the evening. A short amount of time passed before she heard the soft footfalls of another person coming toward her. Silaerín turned her head, her eyes meeting Elladan's as he joined her on the veranda and sat on the stone bench beside her.

"Where is your partner in misdeeds?" Silaerín asked quietly, turning her eyes toward the moon hanging high above her head.

"She is right here," Elladan smiled.

She glanced at him quickly, "I have done nothing to aide you in wrongdoings."

"Yet," he warned and looked up at the moon again. "What is so interesting about the moon this eve rather than any other night, that you would come out here to gaze upon it instead of enjoying the festivities inside?"

"I have been given much to think on this day," Silaerín said, "and everyone else was summarily occupied. Where is Elrohir?"

"Still chasing Cuileth around," he laughed lightly. "It is only in fun, though. Neither of us have any intention of finding a mate so soon. I have a feeling my brother and I will delay our choice as long as we possibly can, just to be sure we have found the path in life we wish to take."

Silaerín looked at him, "Choice? You mean in the elleth that you would wed?"

Elladan grew quiet and moved his eyes to her, "Nay. It is the choice we are given whether to remain with our Elven kindred or to forsake our long life for the gift of Men."

"You are given that choice?" Silaerín asked. "I know of your kin before you, but I thought that since Lord Elrond chose Elf-kind, and Lady Celebrían is an Elf, you would not have a choice."

"Nay, the choice shall come to us," he replied, but it is something I wish not to worry over at the moment. I still have much to learn before I can make that choice."

She nodded her head and let out a long sigh. "Elladan..." she began.

"Yes, my lady..." he countered with a smile.

"Thank you," she said.

Elladan laughed, "For what? Please tell me what _good_ deed I have done."

Silaerín felt herself giggle, but remained quiet with only a large smile, "Thank you for accepting me so easily as your friend. I shall thank Elrohir when I next see him, but since you are here, I will thank you now."

He smiled and reached out to touch her cheek for a moment, running his archery-roughened fingertips along her cheek bone and down her jaw line. Even if his fingers were not the softest thing in the world, for some reason, it felt nice to have him do this. Nice was not adequate, though, and she did not know any other word that could describe the odd feeling going through her at the moment. He cupped her cheek then, and said, "We have not accepted you as a friend, Silaerín. We have accepted you as a sister. A sister that we have appointed ourselves the keeper of."

She laughed, "Then I am better off than I originally thought."

"Even though we are just newly met, and Elrohir and I still have much to learn about you, and you about us, you can count on the fact that even if you were in Mithlond and in trouble, we would be there to aide to you in anyway we could. That is, as soon as we received word of it."

Silaerín rolled her eyes and chuckled a little more, "I will remember that."

Elladan nodded his head and removed his hand from her cheek. He smiled, "Would you care to dance, my lady?"

"I do not know how." Silaerín felt her face grow warm again.

"You do not know how?" he questioned and stood up, pulling her along with him. "Then I shall teach you. You are here to learn, after all."

---

muindor- brother

Adar- Father

Naneth- Mother


	6. Interlude: Missing Daughters

Chapter 5- Missing Daughters

---------------------------

Year 184 of the Third Age

---------------------------

**Nearly four turns of the seasons later, on the shores of Mithlond...**

"You did what?!" Nenvír bellowed, his voice echoing off the stone walls surrounding them. "Adar, I expressly forbade her from going!"

"Calm yourself, Nenvír," Círdan desperately tried to quiet his son's wildly shifting temper... especially now that he had yelled for the long length of time it would take one of his mariners to make a row across the channel to the Falas. The roaring had started when Nenvír set foot into the dwelling, and then continued down the hallways, sounding no less than an angered cave troll coming for him. Elbereth, he was not even a cave troll. He was some minion of Melkor!

Nenvír's blue eyes flashed angrily at him, his jaw setting into place, much like he had done as a small Elfling. "Why is she in Imladris? Before I left here, I made sure she could not go. Even she understood that she would be punished, should she go."

Círdan took in a deep breath and walked away from his son, moving to the table set up with a crystal decanter of wine and matching goblets. This would call for a few glasses of the strongest Miruvor he could find. With his wine, he sat in the nearby cushioned bench and looked at Nenvír, "You cannot keep her locked away in the bell tower all her life, Nenvír. That would do things to her that not even I could warn you about."

"I understand that, Adar," Nenvír said, with an attempt at calming his voice, but all he succeeded in doing was clenching his teeth and pinching his face into an odd expression. "But if she were to leave, she was to leave with me."

"Why?" Círdan asked quietly. "Galdor is perfectly capable of getting her to Imladris safely."

"So that I control what she sees and does not see about the outside world." Nenvír explained, "It is important to me that she receive no taste of the good things elsewhere in Middle-earth. She must think Mithlond is the best home for her. Elbereth, I would be happier if she were in Aman."

"Why, Nenvír? Why are you so unreasonable?" Círdan continued with his questions, deciding that this would be the night he finally got Nenvír to admit to himself why he acted in such a way to Silaerín.

Nenvír shook his head in obstinacy and walked over to pour himself his own goblet of wine. He said, "I will not answer that until you answer my questions."

Círdan nodded his head and ran a hand through his newly growing beard of silver. "Fair enough. I have had this planned for a long while now, Nenvír. You may not want her to leave you, but Silaerín is an elleth that has enormous potential if only her abilities are cultivated. They cannot be cultivated here with her brother acting as he does and you constantly breathing down her neck. In Imladris, her natural abilities for lore and history can be seen to. Lord Elrond is very knowledgeable in such matters."

"That is almost like what you said of Alphril when you sent her to Lórien to act as an emissary to Lord Amroth!" Nenvír exclaimed. "Not only could she learn a great deal, but was already a skilled lady of the court, could make wise decisions and also attend the councils with the Havens' interests. That is why she is now in Aman! And that is why Silaerín should not be in Imladris."

The wise Elf lifted his head and let out a long breath from his lips before taking another sip of his mead. Círdan glanced at Nenvír, "She would not have stayed here even if you had asked her, Nenvír."

"How do you know that, Adar? You may be wise in all aspects of this world, but how could you truly know what she would have done?" Nenvír asked, quieting only slightly, growing morose.

"I knew how much she loved you, Nenvír. She would do anything you asked of her. But I also knew her free spirit," Círdan replied. "I knew of her desire to help her lord in anyway she could during the last War. She would have been out there with you, Nenvír, fighting alongside you had we not persuaded her to stay behind and help oversee things here in Mithlond. You could not stop her from what she loved to do."

Nenvír was silent then, standing and watching the foaming waves from the promenade on the shore in the evening moonlight. He hung his head and fiddled with the fine crystal goblet in his hands, "But Adar, she had children here to look after, and you still let her go."

"She trusted that you could make the right decisions for them if she was gone," Círdan said, sipping the Miruvor. "You cannot blame her for what you do to Silaerín."

"I do not blame her, Adar," Nenvír said flatly, looking directly into his eyes. "I blame you."

"Me, ion nín?" Círdan asked.

Nenvír nodded his head, "You are the one who sent her to Lórien. You are the one that sent her to be slaughtered by those marauding Men. You are the reason that Alphril is no longer here to see her beautiful daughter grow. Or see the fine warrior her son will turn out to be. You are the reason that Silaerín must stay here in the Havens so that she may escape at any moments notice to Valinor. The further she goes inland, the more trouble and evil that can befall her, and the less a chance she has of making it back to Mithlond to leave Middle-earth."

"Your worries are just, Nenvír. I cannot fault you in that," Círdan said, standing up and looking at his son now that they were eye level. Indeed, there was a great amount of pain and anguish there in his blue eyes. The pain and anguish that Círdan often worried that Nenvír had never felt for losing his wife. However, it was evident he had, but made sure to keep it all bottled up inside. "I have those same worries every time I send you on errantries, or when you accompany me into battles, whether you be an Elf in your first Spring of adulthood, or the Autumn of your fifth millennia."

"But that still does not excuse why Galdor and his companions have been missing for a year's time with my daughter and her handmaiden." Nenvír said, steeling himself from the emotions that had started to take hold of him. He had become quite good at that over the years. "I cannot believe you sent them without me knowing."

"Galdor has been with Silaerín in Imladris while he takes care of the business of Mithlond there. I had hoped he would have returned with her before you, but that did not happen." Círdan turned away from Nenvír then, shaking his head in dismay. At least he had tried to change Nenvír's mind. And each time he did, he came closer and closer to achieving what he wished, but for now, he would let it rest and let Nenvír deal with matter in the way he thought best. "And she would not have been allowed the journey had you known."

"That is why you sent me to the Falas to go deal with the ship building! To go behind my back and send my daughter away, completely undermining my authority as her father. Sometimes I think you grow mad in your old age, Adar. Perhaps the palantir you guard has done it to you. Or that ring..." Nenvír spoke bitterly and set his goblet of wine down. He straightened his shoulders and adjusted his robes over his body, looking at Círdan. "Celin and I will make ready for Imladris in the morning. She has already spent enough time out there, with all the threats of this world."

"You are making a mistake, my son," Círdan watched as Nenvír retreated down the promenade and soon out of sight. He hung his head, and closed his eyes for a few moments. At least Silaerín had gotten a year away from Mithlond, and under the studies of the gifted tutors in Imladris. Hopefully she had been there long enough to make her believe in herself as a powerful elleth no matter her age, and also to make her see what she could have in such a nurturing environment. Of the second part he was sure of, according to his correspondence with Elrond and how quickly she had fallen into a close friendship with Elrond's sons, and how much Celebrían had taken an interest in helping Silaerín grow. Now he hoped she could retain everything and implement it here in the Havens.

* * *

**And in Imladris... **

Elrond entered his chambers that night, weary from a long day of councils, negotiating with outlying areas and holding his weekly lesson with Silaerín. He had intended on spending much more time with Silaerín when Círdan sent the request, but he found that running Imladris was slowly taking more and more of his time. At least he could say that he had not failed the elleth and the wise Elf-lord in the fact that he offered her a loving place to learn, with a wide array of teachers with specializations in different areas. On a few occasions, would Celeborn and Galadriel even take Silaerín aside to teach her of something or even just to speak with her.

However, on this day, he had been allowed to have a lengthy lesson with Silaerín after the evening meal on some practical methods to healing that he thought everyone should know, and Silaerín had barely been able to sit through it. He laughed lightly to himself, shaking his head as he slowly removed his outer robe and placed it across the back of a nearby chair.

When the elleth first arrived to Imladris, she had been studious and quiet, and always paying attention to every detail during her lessons so that she could memorize them. And most of the time, Silaerín was able to tell him things that he had either forgotten or never known about certain histories or lore he was speaking about. That had always impressed him, and she could still do that, but a great change had occurred in her recently that leant to her being talkative and inattentive to his teachings. At first, Elrond had worried that he had grown boring and that she was no longer learning anything from him. But he soon realized that was not the case. She was continually trying to get away to spend time with Elladan and Elrohir or one of her few other elleth friends.

Slowly, but surely over the past year, Silaerín had been changing in her social sphere, from the aide of his sons and his wife. The entire household had seen her slowly begin to come out of whatever shell she had been hiding in, to turn into an elleth with a great amount of charisma and a very strong backbone. No longer did she sit idly by if something was not to her liking or did not agree with. She would get up and do something about it, not ashamed if she was actually speaking her mind. Everything about her had changed, and for that he was proud that he and the rest of Imladris had been able to help her. Even though she had developed the courage and fortitude in order to live her life over the time she had spent here, she had still retained her quiet and pleasant nature. Hardly anything ever disagreed with her in any way, shape or form. She was content. She was kind. And she was an elleth he would not mind dealing with in the future on matters of state or in other areas. Though, he knew the likely hood of that happening was slim to none. But he was glad that he had been able to free her from her father's shadow for this amount of time.

"You are back earlier than expected."

Elrond jumped slightly at the voice, and turned to find Celebrían leaning against the wall of the passageway that led to their sleeping chambers. He smiled slightly, sitting down at the dressing table to take out his braids, and said, "My student would not sit through my lessons again."

Celebrían chuckled and removed herself from the doorway, to walk to him and place her hands on his shoulders. She met his eyes in the mirror, "I am sorry."

"Do not be sorry. I am more happy for her growth as a normal elleth than that of her studies," Elrond laughed and sighed. "When she came here, her studies were not her problem."

"I know," Celebrían replied, moving his hands from his hair so that she could finish taking the braids out.

"But what I am ashamed to say is that my sons have done more for her than I have done for her," he said.

She smiled and continued working on his hair awhile more before speaking. "You have done more than you think, Elrond. You have shown her that it is fine to stand up for herself and not have her father tell her she is wrong. And, lest we forget, without you, there would be no Elladan or Elrohir."

"You always place a unique spin on things, my lady," he said as he took a hold of her right hand and brought it to his mouth to place a kiss on her fingers.

"That is why you bound with me," Celebrían whispered into his ear as she leaned over him to reach for the comb.

Elrond chuckled, "True."

She smiled, combing through his long hair, dark hair. After finishing that task, her hands moved to his shoulders again and to his neck as she applied various amounts of pressure and rubbed his fatigued muscles. It was things like this that reminded him how much he enjoyed having a mate. She sighed and rested against him, wrapping her arms about his neck. "I am proud of Silaerín. I feel like her own mother."

"And I think she sees you as quite a lovely mother," Elrond replied, attempting a quick movement so that it would bring Celebrían around to his front and down into his lap. Luckily, he was successful in this attempt and she had not noticed what he was about to do beforehand. "And Elladan and Elrohir are good brothers."

Celebrían laughed, "She also has had an effect on them, for the better I believe. They have matured greatly the past year with her influence."

"At least one has," he said and gazed into her eyes, wrapping his arms about her body to hold her close.

"I agree. Elladan has changed the most," she nodded, "but he was always the more mature of the twins."

Elrond grew silent, watching her eyes again. He smiled, "You think there is something more there than that, my wife?"

She grinned, "Well, my mother has seen something... and even _you_ cannot be blind to the fact that Elladan takes a greater interest in Silaerín than Elrohir does."

"What has Galadriel seen? And I am not blind to it, but that is still more in Elladan's nature than it is in Elrohir's," he replied.

"She would not tell me explicitly what she saw, because she fears we will interfere," Celebrían said. "Which we may, at some point. But what my mother has said is that Silaerín will play a greater role in our lives than this."

"That is nothing more than Lord Círdan has written to me," Elrond added in an unimpressed tone.

Celebrían's eyes glittered with laughter for a moment, and she placed a kiss upon his cheek. "I will remember this uninterested tone when she comes into that greater role."

"I wish to be surprised, meleth," he laughed. "It is one of the few joys I have left in this world."

She sighed and nodded her head, "Then let us discuss something else."

"And what would this be, my lady?" he questioned.

With a sheepish grin, Celebrían looked directly into his eyes. "Silaerín has made me see that I wish to have a daughter of my own."

Elrond smiled and kissed her lips, "And I will facilitate that for you, meleth, though I cannot choose if I would rather have a son or a daughter. But let us wait a few more years before we do that, so that Elladan and Elrohir are fully grown in body and mind."

She chuckled, "I know you cannot choose, and I agree that we should wait. I only wished to discuss it with you, in case it took more than a few years to persuade you into it."

"You should know by now that there is no persuasion needed," he laughed. "My children are one of my greatest joys in life besides you."

Celebrían smiled and leaned over to kiss him, saying, "You have had too much mead this night, meleth. These words of romance and flattery are falling easily from your mouth."

"That is untrue," he said defiantly. "It comes to me naturally every night about this time, especially if you are in the position you currently are in."

She giggled and pried his arms away from her so that she could stand up, walking to the bedchamber. With a beckoning smile, she turned to him, nodding towards the chamber. And fortunately for him, and possibly Celebrían, he was now not the least bit in need of rest.

---

Adar- Father

Ion nin- My son

Meleth- love

Alphril- Silaerín's mother if you do not recall from a previous chapter.

_A/N: I maintain now and forever more, what is one year to an Elf? Nearly next to nothing. Maybe a month... so that is why I have had this planned since the beginning of the story to skip forward a year. There is still much more to come throughout (and I mean, **throughout **) the Third Age, and much of it will bring back memories of this one year spent in Imladris. But that is enough insight into this author's wacky plot planning, even though I hope this is just fine like it is. Hope you all are enjoying! _


	7. Imladris: All Good Things

Chapter 6- Imladris: All Good Things...

**A very, very short time later **

"I will yell if you do not let me go," Silaerín spoke, issuing her ultimatum, though she had a feeling her demands were not going to met by any long shot.

The evil snickering started on either side of her, as her two captors tightened their grip on her arms so that she would not be able to try any sort of escape. This was getting ridiculous. Abduction from the library that morning was bad enough, but then parading her about the whole of Imladris, or so it felt like, in silence and with a blindfold over her eyes was entirely different. Already she was planning that they receive a rather large comeuppance if they ever let her go.

Why were they holding her captive anyway, dragging her along so that her gown caught on burrs and protruding twigs from the trees and bushes?

She sighed, trying to calm the anger and the nervousness that was rising slowly in her body. But that only partially worked. "Will you at least tell me where you are taking me?"

"You will see, Silaerín," the twin on her right said, though it was difficult to tell exactly which twin had said it without being able to look at them.

The other twin to her left laughed, "You do not like surprises?"

She scoffed and turned her head in the direction of that voice, "Nay, I do not, and you two should know this by now. I prefer to plan, to see to any surprise that could happen beforehand and then have everything go to plan."

"And that is exactly why we are doing this... to break you of your old, boring ways," the twin to her left said, but loosened his grip. This had to be Elladan now on her left, as he was the kinder one and was the one that usually did the explaining of the two, and Elrohir did the implementing, though both were equally talented at planning.

"I am neither old nor am I boring, Elladan," Silaerín said.

Her kidnappers were quiet then, until Elladan spoke, "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" she asked as innocently as she could manage, but knew the small smile on her lips that she fought to tame would give her away.

"You know what he is asking," Elrohir replied. "It is baffling to me that our parents have trouble telling us apart, even when they are looking at us, and yet you come here, and even with your eyes covered, you are able to distinguish who is who."

Silaerín turned her head to Elrohir and smiled widely, but did not say anything more on the matter of being able to tell the twins apart so easily. Truthfully, if she continued to explain to them how she knew, she would embarrass herself more than any other time in her life. After all, the only twin she really knew well was Elladan, which seemed odd to think of, considering that the twins were almost exactly alike, but she knew Elladan's subtle differences more than she knew Elrohir's.

Elladan just seemed different to her, though she could not explain it to herself why he was so different.

Maybe it was in his placid mannerisms compared to Elrohir's more gregarious and blunt character that made him so dissimilar to his identical twin. It was easy to see that Elladan was the tactful diplomat of the pair, and Elrohir the shrewd decision maker. Though, it did not matter which way she put it or tried to come up with believable excuses for herself as to why she paid so much attention to Elladan, she just was at loss on a decent way to explain it.

And the only way she could even begin to explain it was that she had a great sense of happiness and calm whenever it was Elladan she was around.

However, she would never tell them this because she worried the twins would know exactly what she was going through, even though she did not know herself. And that was the last thing she wanted, to be out of the loop of information. So for now, they would remain in the dark.

"We will remove the blindfold if you tell us how you do it," Elladan tried his best to persuade her into her confession.

"As much as I would like to see where I am going, I trust both of you enough to not do me any harm," she said. "So for now, you will not remove the blindfold, and I will not tell you how I tell you two lovely half-Elves apart."

"Fine then," Elrohir said, "we will leave the blindfold on even after we have reached our destination."

She sighed heavily, breathing in the cool early Spring air and recognizing the strange quality in it. "Are we close to water?"

That comment received a laugh from both of the twins and Elladan said, "We are in a valley surrounded by waterfalls, Silaerín. Of course we are near water."

"That is not what I meant," Silaerín pursed her lips in an annoyed fashion. "We are close to a river or lake. The air has changed."

It seemed that they both sighed simultaneously. Elrohir chuckled, "We should know better than to try to trick someone who lives on the shores of the Sea."

With that, her blindfold was removed and she was given the beautiful, peaceful sight of the small lake they had visited many times before on their walks. But why had they needed to blindfold her for this trip to the lake? There was nothing special here that she could see, at least not yet anyway. "I do not mean to be ungrateful for the outing, but why did I need to be blindfolded? I do not see anything different."

"To be completely honest, you did not need to have your eyes covered," Elrohir remarked, "but we like to bother you to push you past what you are accustomed to dealing with. You should know that by now. That is the only way you have learned, is to be irritated with us."

So this exercise was to help her grow more? It was true, though. Their method of getting her to take an active role in her life, and more particularly defending herself, was to annoy her into a submission that would make her speak to them and interact. She smiled to herself and sighed heavily. Why could her own brother not be like this? Or even her father?

Elladan looked down at her and smiled, "But we have not brought you out here with a blindfold for nothing."

With that, the twins left her side, Elrohir disappearing down the bank to untie one of the light Elven boats from its dock, and Elladan behind a tree to collect a satchel of what looked to be food and drink. "I do not give either of you enough recognition where recognition is due."

"It was Naneth's idea that we bring food," Elladan laughed and set the satchel in the boat when Elrohir returned. He turned and motioned for her to come to him. She obeyed, and each of them stretched out a hand to help her into the boat while steadying it with their other. When she was safely centered, each took spots at either end of the boat, balancing it out and making it sink slightly deeper into the water.

They all were quiet as Elladan took up the oars and began to row further out into the lake. She looked at each of them, "I find it rather unsettling that you two are rowing me out into the middle of lake, with no around should I need to shout for help."

"You really think that little of us, gwathel?" Elrohir laughed. "We would never do such a thing. You will never be harmed... intentionally."

Silaerín laughed at that, "That eases my mind only slightly."

"Good," Elrohir nodded and turned to look out at the land around the lake until Elladan had taken them all the way across the lake where the river started, and into a small hidden pool of water that was only large enough for two or three of their boats, but it was quiet and extremely verdant in this little bay area.

"What is in here?" she asked.

Elladan placed his hand beneath her chin and turned her head to the side. Silaerín felt herself smile, finding that the otters were there in their small nest built of the thick green grass and leaves, and surrounded with small stones. Except, now there were three newly born otter pups, all lined up in front of the mother and nursing noisily. Elladan sighed, "What we failed to do when we gave them their names was to see if they were female or male. And Nad Tad turned out to be a girl."

Silaerín laughed, "The pups are adorable. Have you named them yet?"

They both chuckled and looked at each other, Elrohir saying, "Why did no one like the names we chose? I thought they were accurate."

"Your father said he will have to warn your wives when it comes time to do the naming of your children," Silaerín said.

"That is if we ever take wives," Elladan said and turned back to watch the otter family.

"I am sure both of you will," she sighed and sat back in the boat, "whether they be elleth or woman."

Silence passed among them as they listened to the chirpings and whines from the baby otter that had been pushed away by its decidedly larger sibling. The smaller one nipped at the large one, telling it off in a series of loud whines and grunts, but it did not listen. However, the mother did, and nudged the large babe out of the way. The twins each laughed at the antics of the small one, but Silaerín could not help but draw a parallel between those two otter pups and her own life, though she was never as impassioned as the one who had been pushed from its place. She sighed heavily, thinking of her family still in Mithlond and what her father's reaction must have been to finding her gone. It must have not been too horrible if she had been here a year, but she still worried about it.

"What is wrong, Silaerín?"

She looked up at the question, finding that is was Elladan watching her closely instead of the otters like Elrohir was doing. "Nothing is wrong."

"That sigh was more than nothing, my lady," he said.

Silaerín looked at him for a long time, trying to decide if she really wanted to get into this discussion today. They had, for the past year, learned small bits of her life in Mithlond, but she had never deigned it necessary to tell them the whole story or the entire truth even though they wanted her to let it all out. "You do not want to know."

"Let us make our own decisions on that once you have told us," Elrohir now commanded and set into his place more comfortably.

"I was only remembering how it was in Mithlond," she spoke quietly, "my brother acts like that otter pup that pushed the smaller one away. But I do not have a mother to come along and nudge him back out of the way. I really would not like to speak of it right now."

"Tell us the story of your mother, please. Then we will bother you no longer," Elladan asked.

Silaerín glanced at him, "I do not know much. I had only learned to speak when she passed."

"Just what you can remember," Elladan said.

"My mother was not a normal elleth that was content to sit by and watch as all the ellyn around her went about and controlled her life. She took an active part in all aspects of Mithlond, from what I can remember. Grandfather would allow her to sit in on councils and also allow her to offer advice whenever it was not dealing with a matter of war. Both my grandfather and father tried to keep her as far from that as they could manage. From what I hear from your mother, she had a willful streak that made it possible for her stand along against some of the most demanding ellon in these councils," Silaerín explained. "She was given half of Galdor's lands, and that included Lórien. There was urgent business she needed to tend to there, so she left Mithlond quickly to take care of problem. All was well until her return journey. I am not quite sure what happened from here, but all I know is that she and her guards were traveling through Arnor when a group of wicked Men ambushed them. And though I think it is bad to say, I am glad that they did not realize my mother was an elleth before the killed her. If they had... I just cannot think what could have possibly happened."

"So her fëa is in the Halls, not still living with her hröa elsewhere in Aman?" Elrohir asked. "I thought she had been healed, but had only gone over Sea because she had lost interest in this world."

Silaerín sighed, "As I said, I do not quite know what happened on her return journey. All I know is that she is no longer in Middle-earth, leaving at the mercy of my father and brother."

Elladan watched her for awhile, rather closely and in a way she was not necessarily comfortable with, but he noticed that and turned his attention away, saying, "And this is why you father acts unlike any Elf I have ever heard of?"

She shrugged her shoulders and chewed on her lower lip, "I know not, Elladan. And I do not wish to continue talking about it now."

"Of course, pen mell," Elladan said.

A very somber mood settled over the three and they sat there for a long while, Silaerín not really wishing to talk, and the twins seemingly unable to figure out how they could possibly follow that story without acting as though they were careless to the memory of her mother. And it remained much like this for the rest of their excursion, though the rest was extremely short because she heard the faint call of her name from a great distance away. The twins rowed to the shore, to find Celebrían waiting for them at the dock.

"Silaerín, you are needed by Lord Elrond," Celebrían said, sounding distant and even to an extent angry at something. What had caused her to appear so distraught and unlike her composed self?

"Yes, Celebrían," Silaerín replied, stepping out of the boat with aide from the twins. "Why?"

"We have visitors from Mithlond," the Lady said flatly and unemotionally, though she clenched her mouth tightly as though she were trying to hold in some rather unflattering words. But that did not matter any longer, not after Celebrían has spoken in the same moment of visitors and Mithlond. Silaerín's stomach flipped within her, and she felt her heart plummet to the hard group making her expect to hear an unceremonious plop as it landed in the dirt and stayed there. She knew this time would come, when her father would arrive in Imladris to claim her again, and she had prepared herself for it. Except, it would seem that the planning jsd been in vain, as she was transformed into a ball of mixed emotions.

With neither saying anything more, the ellyth started a brisk walk back to the House, and to the end of her stay in Imladris.

* * *

"And you!" Nenvír roared on, pointing a finger at Galdor as he came to stand before him.

Elrond stood back, glad that his verbal flogging had subsided for a short time so that he could collect his thoughts. It had all happened so quickly. One moment, he had been holding council with Erestor and Glorfindel, and the next, Celebrían had whisked into the room in a flourish of silk gown and blonde-hair, halting all the proceedings to say that unannounced visitors had arrived. And she had barely been able to say from where when the Elf-lord from Mithlond had stormed in and taken over the room with his booming voice.

"You are lucky that I do not have the power to remove you from your post!" Nenvír continued. Really, this Elf could give any Balrog a run for his gold when it came to ferocity and overall viciousness... and that was not even including at the volume in which he was speaking. Elrond had received many lectures, some that had turned into yelling, but never before had he witnessed something like this. He was not one to deny the fact that through his life there were many opportunities for him to be worried or scared about things, but he had never felt this sort of fear. And it was not even for himself... it was for the elleth he had called daughter for a year and now had to turn over to this abominable excuse of a father.

How was Círdan even capable of raising such a son anyway?

Galdor remained in heated eye contact with Nenvír, never faltering in his stance. The emissary squared his shoulders and took the verbal assault with the best of them, until there was a break when Nenvír needed to think of more accusations he could add to the cauldron of tension and anger now very evident in the room. Elrond glanced to the side, to find Glorfindel standing just outside the door to the study with his hand on the hilt of his sword, communicating to him that he was willing to do whatever was necessary should Nenvír become more aggressive than he already was. Glorfindel caught his eyes, and Elrond motioned for him to remove his hand. Nenvír would not be any worse than this, or so he hoped. Maybe he was just very concerned for Silaerín, which he had a right to be. So there was a very minute bit of Elrond that said he would probably do exactly the same things under the same circumstances.

"The whole of my father's council is going mad, my father included!" Nenvír exclaimed. "This is all folly that you would do such a thing."

Galdor took a deep breath and looked defiantly into Nenvír's eyes, "I would do it many times more, and live through this flogging for the rest of my time here and the world's ending for Silaerín."

"You are not her father, just as my father is not, and just as Elrond is not!" Nenvír said, "You do not have the right to determine what is best for her."

"I do know what she was like before in Mithlond, Nenvír. You seem to forget this, and now I see what she has grown into and become," Galdor continued evenly. This was why he was such a trusted representative to the outlying realms of Arda, because he could withstand these angry people. "And might I say that it is wonderful what Lord Elrond has done in one year with her, doing the things that you have failed to accomplish as her _own father _for all of her life."

Nenvír grunted loudly and turned away, to begin pacing about the room. That comment from Galdor seemed to pacify him, that was until the commotions of the hall outside of the room alerted the Elves that Silaerín had finally arrived. The young elleth walked into the room slowly, her eyes on the ground and seemingly to have completely reverted back to the elleth she had been when she first arrived in Imladris. Nenvír stopped his pacing, and carefully scrutinized every inch of her as she slowly made her way to stand in front of him. Silaerín curtsied lowly to him, not saying anything.

And that about did it for Elrond. Now it was certain Nenvír was on the short list of living beings in Arda whom Elrond would like to see summarily dismissed from the world in the least civilized way imaginable. Grandparents should be respected, and polite bows should be expected, but Elrond knew that had he been in Nenvír's situation, the last thing he would have wanted was a bow from his daughter. He would have wanted to embrace her and ask her if she was well. Not have her show propriety to an undeserving father. And what was more, Nenvír made no attempt to take her into any form of embrace, he just stood over her, waiting for her to come out of her bow.

For the first time since Celebrían's entrance, the room was silenced to that of the sound of the leaves rustling outside the House. Glorfindel stood with Celebrían, Elladan and Elrohir just outside the door. Galdor still stood where he had been for Nenvír's yelling. And in the center of it all, stood the elleth who would not meet her father's eyes as her father stared down at her in a disgusted manner.

Finally, in a moment of triumph for Elrond and the other Elves there, Silaerín looked up at her father and held his gaze. It was apparent this was the first time anything like this had ever happened between them, and it shocked Nenvír. Silaerín looked around the room, and back at her father. "Would you rather yell at me with everyone watching, or alone?"

Elrond had to cover his mouth to keep the smile now formed there hidden and the laugh from escaping his lips. He glanced around the room, "Come, we should leave them some privacy." Without waiting for a response, Elrond emptied the room and shut the door to the study, looking around to find all of the Elves still standing there and looking at him expectantly. "I will see the Dark Forces take over Arda before I leave her completely alone with that beast," Elrond remarked.

There was an audible and visible sigh that came from the others as they started to disperse and Elrond set his post next to the door, reminding him of his time as Gil-Galad's herald and being given such duties as watching for intruders, or for listening in on conversations when it was necessary. He glanced to his side, though, finding that his sons had not moved at all.

Before he could remark on anything or tell them to leave, Elladan said, "We wish to stay. We are her protectors."

That received a nod from Elrohir, making Elrond involuntarily raise a curious eyebrow. He had never heard this bit of information. Her protectors? But he did not have a chance to say anything as the speaking began again within the room.

"Silaerín, I forbade you from leaving Mithlond unless it was a journey over Sea," Nenvír spoke in a surprisingly calm manner.

"I know that, Adar," she spoke, "but Iauradar sent me. I trust in the knowledge that he has the ability to know the outcome of things before he does them, and that he sent me here for a reason."

"He sent you here to anger me," Nenvír said. "He does not agree with the way I raise you."

Elrond heard a scoff come from the young elleth, a very disgusted scoff as a matter of fact. He could only hope that Nenvír did not slap her or do worse in retaliation of her impudent remarks. Silaerín grunted lightly now, and said, "You are selfish, Adar. It was not about you. It had nothing to do with you except for the fact Iauradar wanted me to learn away from your influence. Everything about Grandfather's plan was to help me grow and learn things from skilled teachers, that I was not getting in Mithlond."

That seemed to have stunned Nenvír into a another silence, but it was short-lived. "You were purposely not receiving it in Mithlond, Silaerín! I made sure of it. The last thing I wanted was for you to get any taste of the things of the outside world and want to leave Mithlond!"

"No wonder Grandfather disagrees on how you raise me," Silaerín replied.

"What has happened to you, elleth?!" Nenvír asked, "What have they done that has changed you into a cheeky little she-Elf?"

Elrond cringed, and felt the gaze of his sons. That was not the least bit kind thing to say to one's daughter, and exceptionally uncalled for.

"They have done nothing but show me love and give me a secure place to become who I wished to be. Celebrían has been a mother, and Elrond a more loving father than you have ever been." Silaerín said. "And really, Adar, should you be asking that of me? What happened that has changed you into this unbearable being? At least I could tolerate you ignoring me, like you did before Naneth was slain. It is better than this constant control of my life."

Nenvír was silent again, this time for longer. "I am protecting you."

"From what, Adar?" she questioned, seemingly at her rope's end and beginning to sound emotional.

"From the world," he said, and let out a heavy sigh. Then there was movement in the room and what sounded like a large body falling onto a cushioned seat. "I love you, Silaerín, though I may not always show it properly."

"You have never shown it properly, Adar," Silaerín replied, her tone calm and soothing now. Elrond was proud and impressed at how well she stood up for herself, these needed questions and comments she was making still within the parameters of what Nenvír deserved.

"I have thought about this for the entire journey here to collect you, Silaerín," he said. "I love you. I do. And I try to control your spirit so that you will not one day wish to go gallivanting across Arda to have something happen to you like what happened to your mother. I knew if you came to any other place, especially a place as lovely as Imladris, you would want to be a regular visitor, and that opens a whole new range of things that could happen to you."

Silaerín was quiet then and is sounded like she also sat down, maybe beside him. She sighed, "But you wish me to resent you instead?"

"Truly, Silaerín, what have they done to give you this lip?" he asked, more beside himself than anything. "What came about the quiet elleth I once knew?"

"She is still here," Silaerín said, "but her resolve and strength has taken hold of her and taught her she can change things she does not believe in."

Nenvír sighed, the explanation seemingly enough for him. Elrond was surprised that Nenvír was acting so benevolently now compared to what he had been when he first arrived. Or even during his trips to Imladris for councils and other matters.

"You sound like your mother," Nenvír said and sighed again. "You are all I have left of her, Silaerín. I know that there is Celin, but you look so much like her and remind me of her so much so, I can not bear to see you leave Mithlond or myself."

There was complete silence, but then there was a soft, "Ada?"

She had changed from Adar or Ada. That had to be a good sign.

"Ada, I always knew at some level that this was why you acted with me as you did. Either that or the thought of me saddened you, because I was like Naneth," Silaerín said. "Was it for both reasons you kept me at arms length, but then controlled me so I would not leave?"

"Aye, it was," Nenvír replied and chuckled lightly. "Your grandfather was not kidding when he said you are a bright one for your age."

She giggled, "I am."

The Elf-lord of the Havens let out a long breath, "I vow to try to be more open minded in your traveling, if you so wish to continue to do that, as long as I accompany you wherever you go, instead of Galdor. I know it is selfish of me to ask this now, but at least let me share in the experiences of seeing new things with you."

"Ada, thank you," Silaerín replied.

"But, we are still leaving on the morrow for Mithlond. You have been gone long enough for now," he said, reverting back to his steeled, aggressive manner. Elrond sighed to himself and shook his head. The instant things started to look up, and he was about to forgive him, Nenvír had to go back to his angry and less than charitable tone of voice.

Silaerín sighed unhappily, "Aye, Adar. I will begin to ready my things."

"Do not forget to see your brother," Nenvír said. "He has traveled with me and was sent to tend to the horses."

There was silence, "Fine, Adar, I will do that."

With that, Elrond stepped away from the door, motioning for his sons to do so as well as the doors opened and Silaerín stepped out, glanced to either side, meeting their eyes. She said nothing and only sighed heavily as she turned on her heels to head to her chambers. Nenvír stepped out then, regarding them with an arrogant upturn of his nose, and continued down the corridor, to what Elrond could not figure out. Elrond shook his head and stepped between his sons, placing an arm around each of their shoulders.

"Promise me now that you never act like this with your children, no matter what choice you make," Elrond asked. "Just give their grandfather some peace of mind that they are not treated in such a way."

He received wide-eyed stares from each of them as they nodded their heads quickly. Elrond sighed. He knew he would not have to worry about Elladan and Elrohir, but for now it was just good to reassure that.

* * *

Naneth- mother

Gwathel- sworn sister

Nad Tad- Thing Two

Pen mell- Dear one

Adar- Father

Iauradar- grandfather

A/N: THANK YOU REVIEWERS!


	8. Imladris: Until Then

Chapter 7- Imladris: Until Then

After much searching that evening, he finally found Silaerín sitting on a secluded portico that was hardly used, looking up at the night sky. It had worried him that she had not come to the evening meal in the dining hall. Actually, it seemed to worry everyone except her father and brother. Not that he was surprised by that, but he had hoped that they would at least show a little more care for the elleth he and Elrohir had grown so close over the past seasons. How could anyone act in such a way to their family members? It was completely despicable.

And her brother! Oh how that snooty balrogion aggravated him to no end. It was enough that Celin treated Silaerín as though she were equated to the level of the dirt beneath his feet, but then he had come along and said some nasty things about the fact that he was staying in the house of people of impure Elven blood. It was the most dimwitted argument Elladan had yet to encounter. So what if there was the blood of Men within them? They also had Maiar, and more Elven than anything else. And that equaled a combination, as far as he was concerned anyway, far greater than any lanky Elf, even if the lanky Elf's grandfather was Lord Círdan.

Both he and Elrohir would have been more than happy to take the puny Teler to task. They would have won a fight easily any day, even if it was only one of them against Celin with a hand tied behind their backs. But the he-Elf was very lucky that their mother had called them away at that moment, to ask them to go find Silaerín.

He stayed near the entrance to the portico, watching her for a few moments, trying to ascertain her current mood before interrupting her. She did not seem to be in any disposition that he should be worried about, so he entered quietly and slowly. "You were not at the meal, Silaerín. Do you not wish to eat?"

"I thought I should stay out here, Elladan," she replied, not turning her head from the stars. "I have already caused enough trouble this day."

Elladan sighed and sat beside her, "You did not cause the trouble, Silaerín, and you know that. Your father is the one to blame for it."

She glanced at him, "Aye, that may be so, but I still could not face him this quickly. I would do something I regret."

"We would all help with that regretful task," he smiled, trying to lighten her spirits.

And that seemed to do the trick for a few moments at least as she giggled lightly. "I thought that this new vow he made with me would be a good one, but now I realize that my traveling will still be on his terms. I will never see any other land further than the Ered Luin."

"He cannot keep you chained up forever, Silaerín," Elladan said. "You will soon be of age and able to choose your own path."

"What will he do then? He will come searching for me. He would scour all the vile land from here to Mordor looking for me," Silaerín replied. "And I do not know if you have noticed recently, but I am not the adventurous type of elleth. I enjoy the comforts I receive as living a life of a lady, I could not maintain my existence living on my own in the wilds of this world. I do not even know how to hold a bow and arrow correctly."

"You could learn," Elladan continued, but knew that she was right. Silaerín was definitely not the type of elleth who would do something so rash as running from her father to hide in the wilds.

She glanced at him, giving him a sour look, "How will I accomplish that when my father will still control my teachings in Mithlond?"

Elladan decided that perhaps she was in a foul mood, but had bottled away until someone had found her, so he stopped talking. That was until another brilliant idea came to his mind. "Then you will bind with either Elrohir or I when we have grown a little more."

"Elladan, please. That is even more ridiculous than me running and hiding in the woods," Silaerín glanced at him.

"Why is it so ridiculous, Silaerín?" he asked, "The last I checked, I am free to choose whom I will."

"Yes, but it will not be for love," she said, sighing heavily. "When I bind with another I would want it to be for love, not convenience, even if you are the closest friend I have. What would you do if you found that the idea was complete balderdash after awhile? You may find a woman you love, and wish to be with. But you would have already committed yourself to me, and by that, would probably be counted among the Elves. But you would not be able to change your decision."

How did you explain to a perfectly rational elleth that he loved her enough as a friend and even sister that he did not care about all those possibilities?

"Nay, Elladan, I will not let you do that," Silaerín said with a frustrated laugh. "I too love you far too much as a friend and brother to put you through that. You have a very serious choice to make, and it should not be made so early on in your life or on such a whim."

How had she known what he was thinking? He sighed heavily, "I suppose you are correct."

"I am always correct," Silaerín smiled finally and let out a long, uneven sigh. "I am sorry Elladan, if it seems like I am being foul to you. You do not deserve it."

"I know that, Silaerín. You need not apologize," he said, pulling her into his arms and holding her close.

She rested against him and said, "There will be a way around this sure imprisonment. There always is, I just have to find it."

Elladan chuckled, "If anyone can, it will be you Silaerín. But what you must not do is go back to what you were when you first came to Imladris."

"I would never do that, Elladan. Not after I have experienced what one voice can actually do," Silaerín assured.

"At least we will not have to worry about that then, now will we?" he asked and laughed again.

She wondered aloud, "I do not know what I should be. Should I be angry that my father has come to Imladris and acted in such a way, or should I be sad that I will leave tomorrow?"

"If it was I in the same situation, it would be a horribly grievous thing to think that I would leave such wonderful Elves behind the following day," he replied, trying to get some rise out of her. Luckily it worked as she removed her head from its spot on his shoulder, and looked into his eyes as she laughed at him.

"I am serious, Elladan," Silaerín tried to frown to show her disapproval of his answer, but she had already lessened its effectiveness by the laugh.

He smiled and sighed, "I would be both things, but have more anger in my heart for my father."

She nodded her head and rested on his shoulder again. Silaerín said, "I will miss this land and its people terribly."

"Perhaps you will return some day in the future," he said, though both knew it was a slim chance that would happen. "Perhaps if you are wed, you will return here to dwell with your mate. Your father might allow that."

Silaerín did not reply for quite awhile, but she finally took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I plan to be back before that happens. I do not know how I will accomplish it, but I plan on returning before any binding takes place."

Again they were silent and gazed up at the stars, until he felt her eyes on him. He glanced down at her and gave her a quizzical look, "What is it?"

"I will miss you most, Elladan," she said.

"While I do not know why you will miss me most, I will remember that for a future day and time when we again shall meet and you wish to be rid of me because I have bothered you," he chuckled, trying to make himself believe it was a lighthearted comment she had given him, though there was no possible way it could have been meant so lightly, and he would cherish the sincerity of it for the rest of his life.

She laughed lightly and shook her head, "You alone do not bother me. It is the combination of you i and /i your brother that bothers me."

"Silaerín!"

They heard the call from their side, startling them both so greatly they scrambled to their feet quickly as the imposing father looked at them. Silaerín sighed, "Yes, Adar?"

"Why were you not at the meal?" Nenvír questioned.

"I did not feel like eating," she replied.

"Fine then, you shall go to your chambers and rest now. We have a long journey ahead of us," Nenvír commanded.

Silaerín rolled her eyes and glanced at Elladan. He sighed, "We will say our farewells in the morn, Silaerín."

With that, Silaerín nodded her head and disappeared down the long corridor to head for her chambers and Elladan was left alone with Nenvír. The Elf-lord said nothing to him, and only stood in his spot, looking over him carefully. With a grunt and dismayed shake of his head, Nenvír turned on his heels sharply, walking quickly away from the portico.

Elladan shook his head as he sat back down on the stone bench beside him. Somehow...sometime he and Elrohir would rescue her from her father. But the particulars of when that would happen and how it would happen eluded his thoughts. When he had a plan, though, he would follow through with it. It just had to be done.

* * *

The following morning...

The morning dawned grey and blustery for a Spring day, it a perfect tribute to the gloomy tenor that had fallen over Imladris and especially Silaerín. If only there were some way she could emancipate herself from her father... make her own decisions. It would all be better then, would it not? Lord Elrond would take her in and protect her, would he not? But reality was a bitter and fickle thing, and she knew that until she reached the age of one hundred- at least- her wish to be free of her father at any level would not be granted her. She was young, and perhaps one day she would understand her father's motives more clearly. He was her father after all, she should at least allow him the benefit of the doubt.

And so it was, Silaerín prepared for her return trip to Mithlond, going about and saying her farewells until she came to Celebrían and stood before her, the third to last Elf on her long list of Elves deserving of gratitude and a personal goodbye.

"Thank you, my lady," Silaerín said quietly, looking into the elder elleth's blue eyes. "Thank you for all you have done and helped me with."

Celebrían smiled warmly, reaching out to cup each of Silaerín's cheeks in her long, slender-fingered hands. "It was my greatest pleasure thus far in this world to look after you, Silaerín. You have become a daughter to me whether you are here or not."

The prickling behind her eyes finally became too much to handle and Silaerín felt the tear drops form at the corners of her eyes and then roll down her cheek slowly. Quickly she reached up to brush them away, but Celebrían had already done so. "I am sorry. I should not be so emotional."

"Under these circumstances, Silaerín, I would say you are entitled to be whatever you like," Celebrían said. "Even if that is cheerless and miserable. I only wish this could have been done under better circumstances."

"As do I," Silaerín sighed, the tears subsiding for now.

Celebrían smiled, "Know that I will work doggedly at trying to soften your father into letting you return to us."

She nodded her head, "I will hope that it works, then."

"It will, believe me," she chuckled lightly and placed a hand on Silaerín's right shoulder. "Go see my sons."

"Aye, my lady," Silaerín said and without waiting to ask, threw her arms about Celebrían to embrace her. "I shall always call you mother, because you are the only one whom has been like one to me."

Celebrían returned the embrace, holding her closely and placing a motherly kiss upon her forehead. "And know that I will always hold that distinction close to my heart."

She backed out of Celebrían's arms and smiled, "Until the next we may meet."

The Lady smiled fondly and shooed her away to seek out the two farewells she had wished would never come. It was not long until she found them, sitting on the steps at the front of the House, surveying the happens of the Elves not preparing to return to Mithlond. They stood quickly when they saw her, each giving her a feeble smile. She joined and stood before them, looking up into Elrohir's eyes and then moving to Elladan's before speaking.

"I will miss you both so much," Silaerín said, feeling the tears prick behind her eyes again.

"Not nearly as much as we will miss tormenting you," Elrohir smiled, pulling her into his arms and then releasing her. "Next time we see you, we will definitely be to large to fit in a wardrobe. You should suspect another interesting entrance, though."

That made her laugh heartily, forgetting her tears. If all else failed she could always find Elrohir to make her laugh at something. And then she turned to Elladan, remembering the previous evening and the quasi-farewell they had bid each other. She would miss him the most, whether he admitted that to himself or not. The slightly older twin smiled warmly, not saying anything as he hugged her close and released her.

He stepped back from her, and smiled then, "Remember that we will ride to your aide if we receive word of grief and unreasonable imprisonment in Mithlond."

"I will remember that," she giggled.

"And the next time we see you, we shall teach you how to shoot a bow and live in the wilds," Elladan continued, winking slightly.

Silaerín sighed, thinking of the solution Elladan had come up with the night before. It really was illogical to think that she could escape her father and live on her own in the wild. Frankly, she was just too frightened for the darkness that still crept around in the wilds of Middle-earth. Even if she learned those tasks, she would not do it, and she figured that also had something to do with her still not being a true risk taker. But the thought of that solution also brought up the second solution Elladan had offered. It shook her to her core to think that Elladan would suggest such a thing, even though it was made in a rash whim. Would he really do it if she asked it of him? Would Elrohir?

It was wrong to think like this. She was still very young and did not intend to wed any Elf for as long as she could, and the absolute last thing she would do would be to impose herself upon a peredhil who had a very difficult and important decision to make according in his life. She would not make him decide because of a duty he thought he felt for helping and protecting her.

Realizing she had not replied for quite awhile, Silaerín sighed, "I will remember that, Elladan."

"I know you will," he smiled, reaching into the cloak he was wearing and produced an envelope and held it out to her.

She took it from him and found that it was sealed with red wax in the likeness of their crest. Giving each of them a curious glance, she turned it over to find her named scrawled out in elegant Sindarin Tengwar. "What is it before I open it?"

"A letter from both of us," Elladan said.

"That you are not to open until you arrive in Mithlond," Elrohir finished.

"So that must mean there is incriminating evidence written in a sort of confession for only my eyes to see," she laughed, looking up at them.

They laughed and Elladan sighed, "You have a way for seeing the future."

"Or the past," she replied.

A moment of comfortable silence passed between them as the rest of the traveling party assembled in the courtyard. She turned to survey the group, assessing the amount of time she had left until she would be placed on her mare's back and they would begin their long journey home of quiet and mutual resentment that would result in tense expanses of silence between certain Elves, not just including herself and her father. Galdor would probably be in on it as well. Silaerín sighed and turned back to Elladan and Elrohir.

"I do not know when I will be back, but I will be back," she said.

"And we will wait on baited breath until that day," Elrohir replied. "Just remember that you are to keep us informed of the happenings in Mithlond."

"Aye, I will write as frequently as I can," she nodded and glanced around again, seeing her brother standing a short distance away and watching the interaction closely. He grinned smugly, as though he were pleased to see her in so much hurt over this event, but his expression turned to that of disgust when Elladan and Elrohir followed her gaze.

Silaerín rolled her eyes, "Has he said anything to you on his views of your family?"

The twins glanced at each other and then turned back to her, nodding their confirmation. Elladan sighed, "He made us well aware of them last eve, but will not discuss that now. For now, you must go and it is not important. It is easy to see we are greater than he."

She laughed and nodded her head, opening her mouth to say something when she was interrupted by a call for her. Silaerín turned to find her father standing beside her horse, and glanced back at the twins for a few moments, issuing her last goodbye with the saddened look in her blue eyes before walking to her father. Once atop her horse, they party started out along the path and to the thin bridge out of the city. When they were just past the gates, she twisted on her mount to look back at the gates. With a final wave to the twins who were watching them, Silaerín turned back in her seat. She glanced to her side, finding her father too close for comfort and watching he curiously.

"You will miss them?" Nenvír asked with no amount of pleasure in his tone.

"Aye," Silaerín responded, not meeting his eyes and making sure to keep her eyes forward as her show of coldness to him.

Nenvír chuckled almost evilly, "Celin says that the older one said he would bind with you if it meant you would be free of me?"

She glanced to her other side to find Celin and shot him a look of pure hatred, whether he registered it or not. Silaerín grumbled to herself, "His name is Elladan, and aye, he suggested it. I told him it was foolish to think that, with his decision he must make."

"It is better that he does not think of it," Nenvír replied. "You will find someone in Mithlond to suit your needs."

"But-," she started to protest, but he raised his hand to silence her.

"It is nothing to worry about anyway. _Elladan_," he stressed in a snooty manner, "no matter how long it is from now, will not wed you. Imladris is too far away. When the time comes, you will find someone in Mithlond."

Issuing that final edict, Silaerín scoffed and set her gaze forward, clenching her teeth together to bite back the choice words she wished to let out. Of course she was far too young to even think about marriage, but the one thing she knew was that there were not many ellon in Mithlond she would like to spend the rest of her long life, much less for one measly day.

This was certainly going to be the worst phase of her life. She could sense it already, even if there could be a chance for a silver lining around the dark clouds.

* * *

Balrogion- son of a Balrog

Ered Luin- Blue Mountains

_A/N: Thank you to all who have reviewed thus far! I thrive off the stuff and hope to hear more from all of you soon!_


	9. Mithlond: Of Gossip and Letters

_A/N: A large jump in years, I know, but never fear! These missing years will soon be compensated for! _

Chapter 8- Mithlond: Of Gossip and Letters

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Year 1100 of the Third Age

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Nearly eight yén had passed in the lands of Arda, and still Silaerín found herself in Mithlond, sitting on the beach and wishing she were anywhere else but where she was. The only difference between the Silaerín that had returned from Imladris so long ago and the Silaerín she was now was her age and her increased presence in the small court of Mithlond as a Lady and running the things her grandmother and mother would have taken care of had they still remained in Middle-earth. But really, she would go mad if she had to sit through another of those insanely dull and superficial meetings they called sewing gatherings that were usually used more frequently for the gossip and frivolous talk of things.

Her father somehow thought it compensation for her to take such a high seat in return for her not being allowed to travel. But how could it really be compensation to sit amongst the ellyth of Mithlond, listening to their idle chatter about this ellon or that ellon, or the gossip of one's child? She wished to know that. She had tried to figure this out for almost all the eight yén she had been back. And the best answer that she could come to was that her father had purposefully done this to somehow bore her so much that she would become one of the vain ellyth that surrounded her everyday from the moment she rose in the morning until she shut them away at night by the large doors to her chambers. Maybe he had hoped she would care less for reading and expanding her mind? Maybe that had been his plan all along when he came to Imladris to reclaim her?

However, she still considered herself lucky to have the ever-constant support of her grandfather. It was his support and love that kept her sane all of these long years away from the one place she had truly felt comfortable with herself. But, needless to say, she had become very good at the courtly, polite nod of her head and a soft smile as she listened to the droning and mindless drivel of her ladies. And she would continue to do this until she again saw her opening to try leaving Mithlond.

Silaerín sighed heavily, laying her legs out flat against the soft, fine sand beneath her and readjusted her long skirts. She was lucky enough to sneak away from her duties for the day, to come out here to sit and listen the sounds of the waves rolling, cresting and crashing onto each other in the clear blue of the sea. At least her father had not taken this solace away from her. It was the least he could have done after all, but she sometimes mused if he worried that some evil gull would fly over her head and deposit his waste on her shoulder or her hair. Really, as far as she was concerned, that was about the only danger she faced here in Mithlond. Well, besides that of dying from completely and utter boredom. But those things were obviously acceptable to be exposed to.

"Ah, there you are." She turned quickly to find her stealthy grandfather standing behind her and looking out into the Sea. Círdan took in a deep breath of the salty air, and said, "There is a storm brewing to the northwest."

Silaerín turned in the direction he had mentioned, seeing the dark clouds forming. "It seems to match my mood perfectly."

Círdan chuckled lowly and came to sit beside her, on the sand. She watched him closely, never really thinking he, the mighty Círdan, would sit beside her on the beach. He glanced at her and laughed as he straightened out his robes. "Do not give that look, Silaerín. I am capable of enjoying time with my granddaughter while sitting with her on the beach."

"But what will people say, Iauradar?" she questioned sarcastically, turning her eyes back out to the Sea.

He sighed, "You do not care to hear about the things that are told better in your sitting groups with your ladies?"

Silaerín cast him a hard glare, "You know I do not."

"At least he has not won out with his foolish ideas to keep you in one place," he replied.

"But he has," she said. "I am still here. I have been here for a millennia!"

He nodded his head, his silver hair falling over his shoulders as he looked at the sand and grasped some of it in his hand. Holding it a little way from the ground, he let the sand slowly sieve through his long fingers, the wind catching it and blowing it off to the side. "You truly do not like it here?"

Silaerín shook her head, "Grandfather, you know I love Mithlond, that I love the beach. It is just the fact that I am held here against my own will that I do not like and find myself resenting this place."

"Your father only does what he thinks is right," he said, glancing at her.

"I know that. We have discussed this many times before, you and I, and each time we do, it becomes no easier to take," Silaerín replied.

Círdan sighed and looked off into the sunset, letting the silence hang in the air as the waves slowly became more violent with the impending storm. He reached into his robes and drew out an envelope, holding it out for her. Silaerín took it from as he said, "I grew worried when you were not there to greet the herald. You are always there waiting for news of the outside world."

Silaerín held the envelope in her hand and gazed down at the elegant writing. She looked at him, trying to mask her unhappiness with a slight smile, but it did not work. "I no longer take joy when the messenger brings correspondence. Not like I once used to."

"Why is that, pen neth?" he asked.

"Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to?" she questioned.

He smiled, "Because it gives me some excitement in life if I am wrong."

"You have not seen enough excitement in your long life, Iauradar?" she smiled feebly. "And you know it is because Elladan and Elrohir stopped writing over five years ago."

Círdan exhaled and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I know that you and Elrond's sons have maintained your friendship over the course of this millennia, Silaerín. But you must also take into account there are duties they must see to as lords of Imladris, and also at their place among the many skilled warriors of Imladris as their captains. That takes great amounts of time."

"I know that, Grandfather, but I find it hard to believe that they could not find one moment in five years to write a short note to me," Silaerín replied, and turned the envelope over to find the red wax seal with the crest of Imladris on it. She nearly squealed from happiness, and tore it open quickly, skimming the first few lines of the letter.

"What does it say?" Círdan asked.

"Only that they wrote the latter part of this three years ago and that it had somehow gotten mixed up about when it should be sent. They only found it a few months ago when they were looking through the papers on Elladan's writing table," Silaerín explained. "But that still does not excuse them for waiting the last three years to send another letter."

Círdan laughed, "Perhaps they thought you were angry because you did not reply to this letter they thought they had sent."

Silaerín nodded her head, and continued to read the letter, finding that it was just a basic happenings of daily life in Imladris, and made her wish to be there with them even more so than before. At least that had brightened her day. "Thank you for bringing this out to me."

"That is not the reason I have come to fetch you," Círdan replied. "I am to entertain some guests who have arrived from Arnor to discuss matters of trade. I wish to have you at the table beside me."

"I know little about trade, Iauradar," she said.

"It is your duty as Lady of the Havens," he commented sternly, but then smiled. "Besides, your purpose is to distract them enough with your beauty so that I can negotiate a good deal for us."

Silaerín scoffed and gave her grandfather a sour look, "So that is all I am to this realm? I way to distract the likes of Men?"

"You are much more," Círdan said and stood from his spot. "If you sit with me at the meal, you may learn of trade and become an even more vital asset to this land."

She smiled, standing up as well, and followed close behind him as he had already started back for the dwelling. They arrived back to an unusually quiet home, and Mílwen quickly found her to shoo her away to a bath that had been drawn for her to prepare for the evening. Silaerín entered her quiet chambers, to disrobe for her bath, but she took the slight detour to her writing table. She sat down in the chair and let out another sigh as she reread the letter from Imladris still in her hands. Opening the lower left hand drawer, she extracted the light wooden box in which she kept all of the letters she received, all the way back to the one Elladan had handed to her in Imladris.

Deciding that her bath could wait a few more minutes, she lifted the letter from the top of the others and replaced it with the new one. This letter always remained on top of them, it the most important out of any other correspondence she had ever had with the twins. Silaerín ran her fingers along the parchment that had become nearly as smooth as cloth and yellowed from so many years and so much usage on her part. Really, she did not know why she had to reread the words every time she thought of it, as by now with the many thousands of times she had read it, she should have had it memorized. And she did, but she found comfort in rereading the words over and over again... to know that there was someone out there who cared for her in such a way.

There had been a farewell of epic proportions written in the beginning, of the finest caliber of poetry, which made her laugh every single time she read it. And then they had gone on to discuss what it would be like the next time they were to meet, of teaching her how to arch and live in the wilds. Elrohir had personally written about hiding in the wardrobe and hopefully actually finding a beautiful, grown Elf-maiden the next time they tried to do that. Then the parchment had obviously been passed off to Elladan, who had taken time with his portion. The only way she could see that was by the overstated, and hideous blot of ink on his first letter that could only be caused by holding a quill against it for a long period of time while he thought of what to say. His note had been warm, and he had outlined exactly what he would do should she send for their help. It dealt with feeding her father to the wolves, but also went on to say that he would bind with her if it came to that.

Really, was he mad to keep suggesting that?

"What good would it do?" she questioned herself, like she had all the times before, and still she could not figure that out. There was no need for Elladan to bind with her now or forever on. Especially not with who he was, and what her father thought of him. That would just be too much to ask anyone. And they were Elves, for goodness sakes! No one ever did these things because of unreasonable fathers.

Did they?

"My lady!" Mílwen exclaimed, "To your bath, now!"

Silaerín jumped slightly and nodded her head, placing the letter back into the wooden box and replacing the box back into the drawer.

* * *

Silaerín sat in front of the mirror at her dressing table as Mílwen placed the circlet of fine mithril that had been wrought in the delicate lines of abstract waves about her head and encrusted with the white stones that were found within the confines of the large mollusks from the Sea floor. She liked this circlet the best as it was light on her brow, allowing her to have better movement of her neck, and also because this was the one her mother had worn most often. There was a time when she could not wait for the moment she would get to wear such an ornament, but now that she had seen what the circlet had given her- all manner of dull ellyth- she did not like it.

Who could?

"I would look happier if I were you," Mílwen said, fixing Silaerín's long strands of hair about her circlet. "Your father is gone, and you are sharing the evening meal with fine people."

Silaerín smiled and laughed, "I should be. I am sorry I have been such a gloomy person."

"I cannot blame you, my lady," Mílwen said. "The storm on the horizon did not look well. That would make anyone feel gloomy."

"It is not the storm," she mumbled to herself.

Mílwen finished with her task and sighed, "I think that will have to do for now."

Silaerín stood from her spot and smoothed out the layers of her gown of lightweight pale blue fabric, lined in silver thread. At least she had talked Mílwen out of making her wear the entirely too warm velvet of a more formal gown. It was a small triumph for Silaerín to win the battle, but it was one of the few things she had control over.

There was a knock at her door, and Mílwen went to open it, finding that it was one of the lower and much younger handmaids. She bowed slightly, "My lord requests your company in the sitting room, my lady."

"Thank you, Laeriel," Silaerín replied and turned to Mílwen. "Thank you, Mílwen."

With that, Silaerín left the room, walking down the stone corridors toward her intended destination, soft talking growing louder as she moved closer. She was able to discern a female's voice from the group, but nothing more and definitely none of the characteristics of the voice. Taking a breath, she stepped around the corner and into the room through the open wall to the corridor. There stood her grandfather dressed in a fine robe and circlet, conversing with a familiar Elf-lord and his lady wife both dressed accordingly with their ornaments upon their brows as well. They had not changed one bit, but she was more than overjoyed to see them here, of all places.

Wait, had her grandfather lied to her earlier?

Celebrían was first to notice her presence, and a large, bright smile crossed the Lady of Imladris' features. Silaerín did not need to walk to her, as Celebrían quickly glided across the room and pulled her into her arms. The older elleth said nothing as she hugged Silaerín, until she stood back and cupped her cheeks, much like she had done the very first time they had met. Except this time, Silaerín was not shy.

"Look at you," Celebrían said quietly. "An adult now. And a very beautiful elleth at that. It's the Telerin, I do believe."

Silaerín laughed and felt herself blush, "Thank you, my lady."

The lady laughed, "It still has not changed in a thousand years, pen neth. I am still Celebrían to you, especially now that you are a true Lady of the Havens."

Elrond joined Celebrían's side, and smiled down at her. She had grown and was as tall as any other elleth in Arda, and still he towered over her. It was true what the histories said of his being great among Elves and Men. He made no move to embrace her or do any of the sort, and she knew the last thing Elrond would probably do was that, but he bowed to her and said, "I think I like this greeting much better than the last."

"As do I," Silaerín nodded.

And then there was the sound of an angered person clearing their throat behind her, followed by a deep, "We have traveled for a month and a half to be greeted like this! You did not even see us when you entered."

Silaerín turned quickly to find her long lost brothers, standing beside each other and not looking at all like she had remembered them. They stood tall and proud with their tunics of brocaded dark blue and leggings of black. Their hair was longer and darker than she had last seen it, reaching well down their backs and neatly tied in a braid. Such smiles had she long missed, their expressive, caring faces...

And she stopped her assessment of them for a moment. They were truly different, in all manner of the word. At fifty, they had been grown, but she had not imagined they would actually do more maturing than they already had. Their faces were still Elven-fair and nearly exactly like each other's, except now their jaw lines were squared, and their faces slightly thinner and more masculine... much more masculine than any Elf she had ever seen. And in stature they had grown taller, towering over her like their father, and also in width. Actually, it was not that they had become round in any sense of the word, but they definitely filled out their tunics much better. Their shoulders were broad, and it appeared their arms finely toned beneath the fabric of their tunic, and that was not even mentioning the expanse of their chests or the tightness of the sinew in their legs evident underneath their leggings.

Silaerín felt herself blush, the heat nearly unbearable when she realized what she was doing by gazing over them and that the others room had completely silenced themselves. Never had she felt those urges before to look over any ellon in such a way, but these two were different. Very different from any regular lanky ellon. They also were with the blood of Men and the Maiar in their veins. Taking a deep breath, she met each of their eyes, discerning who was who.

"I am sorry," Silaerín replied, glancing at her grandfather. He smiled in an almost wicked manner, and turned around to sip the Miruvor he had already started on for the evening. "This was just not expected."

Elrohir smiled warmly, and stepped forward, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. He said, "It seems it does not matter if we jump from a wardrobe or not, you will still act dumbfounded."

She was still in a state of shock that they were all here, and wanted answers as to why they had come to begin with, but she was even more surprised that it was Elrohir kissing the back of her hand and not Elladan. She looked at the twin standing back, and noticed that he had a glazed look in his eyes, as though he were in the same state of shock she was in. Perhaps she was for once wrong in separating the two? After all, it had been long since she last saw them... and they had changed a great deal. Thinking of their 'changes' again, only made her blush again and she looked away to try to calm the red that was probably very evident on her cheeks.

As she looked away, she noticed the dark-haired elleth standing a ways back, her hair long and wavy and her eyes of the most piercing blue-grey. The elleth smiled meekly, her perfectly shaped pink lips forming a pleasant smile. Celebrían stepped to Silaerín's side but motioned for the other elleth to join them, "Silaerín, this is our daughter, Arwen."

Silaerín smiled at the alabaster-skinned elleth, "I have heard much of your exploits from your brothers... that is whenever they deign to send me a letter."

The elleth who looked like Celebrían besides her dark hair, laughed merrily, it sounding like bells in a light wind. "I am sure anything they have told you is ten times worse than it really was. I am sure you know of their penchants for embellishing stories."

Silaerín nodded and chuckled, glancing quickly in the direction of the twins who were now talking hastily and quietly amongst each other. What could be so secret that they were acting like this? "It is a pleasure to meet you Arwen."

Arwen nodded her head, "And it is finally wonderful to meet the elleth whom my brothers talk about all the time."

"I am sure I am the last thing on their minds," Silaerín said.

The younger elleth leaned over and whispered, "You would be surprised, though it is usually them comparing my impetuous tendencies to your quiet and thoughtful ones."

There was the sound of a low rolling thunder outside, signaling that the storm was nearer to shore. It startled them all, but Círdan looked about, "Let us proceed to the dining hall for our meal? Silaerín?"

She took his offered arm, as they led their guests down the corridors to the dining hall. Having so many questions, she could not wait to lean over and whisper, "Why did you not tell me they were to travel here, Iauradar?"

"I thought that it would be a welcome diversion for you," Círdan replied. "I am saving you from at least a month's worth of gossiping ladies. And besides that, Lord Elrond and I have some things to speak on."

"The ladies will still gossip, and they will still seek me out to be a vessel to unleash it," Silaerín replied with a laugh, but grew quiet again. "Does Ada know?"

Círdan clenched his jaw, she could see that from the muscles in his face changing beneath the thick silver beard. "He knows that Elrond was to come to discuss some things, but he does not know of the others. However, I am sure your brother will do a sufficient job of rowing out to alert him of the fact."

Silaerín sighed, "Well, let us not worry about it this night. This is too lovely a gift to be taken over by dark thoughts."

"I agree," Círdan nodded.

She smiled to herself, turning her head slightly, so that she could just barely see the twins out of the corner of her eyes. This was truly a wonderful gift.

* * *

yén- 144 years in Elvish reckoning.

Iauradar- grandfather

Pen neth- young one


	10. Mithlond: Unfriendly Feelings

_A/N: Ask and you shall receive. Here is a sparkly, brand new chapter from your very thankful author._

Chapter 9- Mithlond: Unfriendly Feelings

He knew that with any passage of time, the people around him would change and grow into different people. He knew that Silaerín would have grown into an adult elleth by the next time he would see her. But that obviously had not prepared him for this transformation. Perhaps he always thought, no matter what her age, she would always look like the young, rounded cheek elleth they first befriended in Imladris. Maybe he had, subconsciously, hoped that she would remain that way so that he would not feel like he did now, watching her from across the table.

Elladan sighed to himself and looked down at his plate of food again, shifting the food around with his utensils, not really in the mood to eat, which was odd for him on any account. But the only thing he really wanted, or needed, to do now was stare at the elleth across from him. He glanced around at his family members and caught Elrohir's eyes. His brother gave him an odd glance, furrowing his brows in confusion for the present situation. Elladan sighed lightly, which inadvertently drew Arwen's attention in his direction. She smiled slyly, as though she knew what was going through his mind, and turned back to the conversation being had. Actually, he feared that everyone at the table knew of his new hyperawareness of Silaerín, but were being polite about it and not commenting obtusely on the matter. Well, that was unless he counted Elrohir and the berating he got from him when he stood dumbfounded looking over the elleth when she had entered the room, unable to speak with her.

Silaerín laughed quietly at something Arwen said. Elladan found it strange that he could sit and not hear anything in particular in the conversation, it a dull roar in his ears, but as soon as Silaerín had laughed, it was as clear as a bell. Numerous times had he felt himself attracted to a number of ellyth, but never before had it been like this. Elves were not supposed to act in such a manner... so consumed by one's beauty. It just did not make sense to him. Sure, he was peredhil, and not one of full Eldar blood, but it still did not excuse this. Could it be that his connection and attraction to her was on a far deeper level than he originally thought? And yet, he still could not push back the thought in his head that she was- in essence- a sister to him. And she could not and should not be seen in the purely physical manner he was now thinking of her.

And it was not until much later, when he was standing upon the balcony of his chambers and watching the bright flashes of light and listening to the rolling thunder did he decide that perhaps it was acceptable to think of Silaerín in this way. After all, they were both grown, and she too obviously had had a shock of monumental proportions when she beheld them again after so long. If Silaerín thought it acceptable to gape at them so openly like she had, with other intentions than just surprise, then he supposed it would be acceptable for him to do the same.

Even though it was a childish consolation to think of it this way, he hoped he could at least show her decency and not allow himself to become too oversensitive to her actions around him. After all, he had a choice and that was to either allow himself to be smitten with her, but still hold her close as a friend, or to completely block her from his life and mind. And the second option was the worst thing he could ever think of doing to anyone he cared so deeply for.

He sighed heavily and rested his head against the cool stone of the wall beside him. Such a paradox he was in- to wish to maintain a pure friendship with her, while he thought of her in the other, despicable ways. And then he remembered that he had yet to speak one word to her this evening. What could she possibly think of him now?

Elladan saw a figure emerge from the building to the balcony to his right and down a level from his own. He smiled, recognizing the figure to be Silaerín as she closed her eyes; the wind from the storm picked up her hair, snapping it back behind her, and caught the skirts of her gown, making them billow about her. She was truly beautiful with her slender Elven frame that had the very slight curves to pronounce the fact that she was an elleth and not an ellon. But in his mind, they were perfect curves, even if women were more voluptuous than the average Elf-maiden.

"Did my heart love till now?" Elladan muttered to himself, watching a smile come over her features as though she had heard him over the ferocity of the storm, which for all he knew, she could have. But that did not stop him from muttering to himself. "Forswear it, sight. For I have never seen true beauty until this night."

There was a loud clap of thunder then, startling him and Silaerín. She jumped and gasped at the sudden sound that had pierced the moment of quiet between gusts of wind and other rolling thunder. He laughed to himself, and leaned over the balcony, calling out, "My lady, you cannot be frightened by such a small bit of thunder."

And that made her jump back some more, looking up at him quickly as she placed a hand to her chest in an effort to quiet her wildly beating heart. She took a breath, "The next time you wish to get my attention like this, at least give me some inkling that I am not alone!"

"Aye, my lady," he replied and smiled.

Silaerín chuckled and shook her head, but did not reply to him before she went back into the room she had come from. He was confused as to why she did this without speaking to him, but the confusion dissipated quickly when he heard the soft knock at his antechamber door. With a swiftness in his steps that he had never encountered, he made his way to the door and drew the heavy wood back.

She smiled up at him, and threw her arms about his neck, holding onto him tightly. "I am so glad you are here, Elladan. Long has it been since I last had any joy like this night and seeing you."

He could do nothing but wrap his arms about her back, though he hoped she would not recognize his discomfort with the situation and the fact that she had said the joy of seeing anyone belonged to him. It was probably just because he was the only one there in front of her that she had said that, but he could still hope, could he not? He could not think of anything to respond with, so he hoped that she was content with just having his arms about her.

Silaerín pulled back slightly to look up into his eyes, "Why are you so quiet, Elladan? You have never been like this."

"I know not why," he replied, angry with himself that he had lied to her in such a blatant manner.

She frowned, but replaced it with a small smile. "Will you walk with me?"

"I would be honored, my lady," Elladan smiled and offered his arm to her.

He shut the door behind them and they started down the darkened corridor in silence. After awhile of this, and turning a few corners had disoriented him, she glanced up at him. "Why are you addressing my as 'my lady' all of a sudden? I prefer Silaerín."

"But you are a lady," he said and looked away from her. Could he really have thought of anything less intelligent to say? He determined he probably could not, no matter how hard he tried.

And she was not the least bit impressed by it either. Silaerín pursed her lips together and raised one of her perfectly arched brows in response to the comment and let out a chuckle, "Well, you definitely have not gotten any better at witty comebacks. Actually, I think you have regressed."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he questioned defensively, though he deserved it. But it was not his fault that his mind was still so busy processing the meaning of what he felt now, having seen her after all these years. It was her fault for maturing and becoming the elleth who stood beside him.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, "You have acted peculiar all night, Elladan. Something must be wrong. I have not changed so much since Imladris, you can still speak to me of things concerning you."

He laughed lightly and looked down at the ground. How did you talk about the thing concerning you when that thing was walking along beside you? "What if I told you that the things concerning me are not things I can discuss with you?"

"Then I would say you are being ridiculous," Silaerín said. "Since when has there been anything you have not told me about? I have been privy to things from your mouth or Elrohir's I care not to hear... or even to read over this long time. And when I had expressed my wishes not to hear such things, I was still given the privilege of hearing them. What is so different about now?"

Elladan stopped in mid-stride, causing her to jerk backward slightly because she had kept walking. She spun back around to face him, her skirts twisting around and she landed against his chest. He looked down at her, meeting her eyes and he thought perhaps this was not the best idea after all. Her current position was doing nothing for his modesty or his chivalry. And he did not completely miss the heavy feeling of tension that had surrounded them when she landed against him. Silaerín was very aware of it as well by the way he could feel her respirations picking up and her heart beating quickly against his chest.

"What?" she barely was able to get out of her mouth.

"You still have that incessant need to let i everyone /i know when you are angry," he replied. "You still get that imperious tone in your voice that I considered so adorable when you were younger. But now I am not sure I like it as much."

She pushed away from him, "Perhaps it is because you are not answering my questions to the degree I would expect from you, and now changing the subject?"

He was delighted that she had not reverted back to her old ways, but in the same light, with her questioning and having a great deal of a snippy attitude, he already could tell it would be a problem for him to become accustomed to once more. But then again, he had helped create who she was today. He had made his bed, and he would lie in it. However, that too was the wrong thing to run through his mind with Silaerín in the context of a bed.

"Please, Silaerín, I have not traveled all this way to argue with you," he said quietly. "Let us start this evening over again."

Silaerín sighed and turned back to him, placing her arms about his neck again in a hug. He smiled smugly to himself, wondering if this embrace was meant as a true gesture of recreating their first meeting this evening, or if it was for her own personal gain. Whatever it was, he enjoyed it greatly. She stepped back and smiled, "It is a great joy to me that you have traveled this far to see me."

"I would have traveled much longer and through much more horrible conditions to get to you, Silaerín," he responded and took her hand in his, leaning over it to kiss the backs of her fingers. Elladan straightened himself and peered into her blue eyes, now alight with mischievousness. "What is that look I see in your eyes?"

"I worried that when I beheld you and Elrohir, that I had confused both of you because Elrohir was the one who kissed my hand," she explained. "You are the only one who has ever done that."

Elladan laughed, "I only did it because I felt bad about hiding in the wardrobe, and startling you."

"Really?" she raised a brow curiously, "I always thought you had done it to make friends with me."

He smiled and took her hand in his, leading her along the corridor, though he did not know where he was going. "I can assure that if I kiss the hand of a lady, I want much more than just friendship."

Silaerín glanced up at him suspiciously, and he realized what he had said. Would she consider it odd if he smacked himself for blurting that out like that? But she only laughed, "Aye, you wanted someone to lie to your mother for you. And it worked."

"You would have lied anyway," he said.

She sighed and rolled her eyes again, but this time in a playful way. They walked for a good distance more, down many flights of stairs and finally ended at the lowest level of the dwelling besides the dungeon below. Silaerín led him into a pitch-black room that he could not even see the outlines of things in, and she removed her hand from his. He could not hear her move about the room, but then the faint glowing of light caught his attention, followed by seven more glowing, flickering lights illuminating half of the large room around them.

"Why are we in the kitchens?" he questioned, feeling his stomach rumble and he remembered the lack of food he had at the evening meal.

Silaerín smiled, "You ate naught but two pieces of bread and a single bite of the fish. I have seen your appetite before. You must be hungry."

Elladan eyed her skeptically, "You were watching me, my lady?"

"Were you watching me?" she questioned furtively, meeting his eyes for a brief moment before turning away and beginning to gather food. A smile played on her lips as she did this, and he wanted to sink into a puddle on the ground and slink away from this.

She had caught him, and now he felt completely embarrassed that he had been caught in his not-so-stealthy behaviors earlier. He never thought that he would end up being the one embarrassed when it was said and done, especially after her problems with gawking earlier in the evening.

"Sit down," she motioned to a stool nearby and continued working. He obeyed her order, and watched her as she moved fluidly about the room, collecting a few more things before placing a tray in front of him that was much like the meal they had earlier in the evening, without the fish. "It is not a stunning success in culinary records, but it will do."

Elladan laughed, "It is just fine. After all, I am used to eating lembas for days on end when I am out patrolling."

Silaerín smiled and sat across from him, pouring wine from an opaque cask beside her and into two goblets. She handed one to him and sipped her own, "So how is it being captain?"

"I enjoy it," he sighed, and placed a piece of fruit and then cheese into his mouth before continuing. "More than I enjoy sitting through long, boring councils on things that I could care less about. At least when I am with the guard, I can be master of my ways instead of having to conform to societal standards when meeting with important people from other lands."

"You should be more willing to participate in the councils," she said, looking at him. "I envy that you can be captain as well as sit in on the councils."

He stopped chewing and washed the food down with a sip of wine, "And why do you envy that?"

"Must I really explain it?" she asked. "I would give anything to sit in on councils or even participate in the day to day business of Mithlond. I know it is not a traditional role for ellyth to hold, but I look at your mother, and your grandmother, and even my mother and see what they do... why can I not do that?"

"You must hold some distinction being the Lady of the Havens," Elladan replied. "Surely your title provides that."

Silaerín sighed, "It does, and I do all the things that an ellyth should do, but it dulls my mind. Sometimes I know more than many of the noble Elves on my grandfather's council, my father included. I could help a great deal with the council. Why can they not see that?"

"Círdan does not see that?" he asked.

"He does, and he allows me opportunities whenever he can, but my father is always there," she responded. "I have been relegated to the chief lady of the court who attends mending circles to listen to rumors about Mithlond, or to create them myself when I get angry and storm away from those so-called meetings."

Elladan was silent, internalizing all that she had said to him. He knew it would end up being like this. While he agreed that ellyth should not be allowed to go to war or any battle, as he was taught to cherish them with the utmost respect, he thought ellyth could hold a very important role in certain councils... not pertaining to military procedures. But he knew that her father would do something like this.

"You should have written us, Silaerín," he said. "We could have come and earlier and tried to help you."

She smiled feebly, "I am sorry Elladan, I did not mean to put all of this on your mind. I just find that it is often hard to not think of it when the boredom is slowly eating away at me."

Elladan took another sip of wine, and reached out for her hand. He met her eyes, "We can still be wed."

"Elladan, that is enough of that talk. My father would have your head," she replied. "All I want at this point is someone to talk to about all of it. That is all."

"Well, that is one of the reasons that we came to Mithlond," he smiled and let go of her hand, and looked back at the food in front of him. He definitely had his work cut out for him on this short trip, though he did not know exactly what it was to be. All he knew was that he needed to do something to break her of the monotonous lifestyle.

--------


	11. Mithlond: Concentration

Chapter 10- Mithlond: Concentration  
  
The storm roared on for five days, and on the sixth day, it showed no signs of relenting. And it was slowly driving all the inhabitants, including the guests, of Círdan's house slightly mad, causing their moods to reflect that of the storm. It was one thing to be kept inside for a day or two, but to be cramped in a stone holding cell for any longer than that was cruel to any Elf, especially since Elves enjoyed to be outside more than they did inside. They had all debated on leaving the safety of the dwelling at some point, but it had always been decided against because there was absolutely no telling what the storm would do should they go out.  
  
And so it was that the ellon within the confines of stone held their councils and discussions on who knew what, while the ellyth spent time talking. Celebrían and Arwen had even started to teach Silaerín how to perform simple elemental spells. Silaerín had found this quite intriguing, and had paid as close attention as she could manage until the ellon would exit their discussions for the day and she would see Elladan watching her from across the way. Oh, how unnerving it was to have him always watching her now! Not that she did not enjoy being looked at in such a way, but after a day it had grown old, especially when he was being completely ridiculous about the amount of distance he was keeping from her.  
  
And it was a strained distance at that. It was as though he wanted to be by her side like he once was in Imladris, always joking and talking with her about anything and everything, but now could not because it would cause other problems and implications for him that he did not dare to think about... like he would break her if he came too close.  
  
She was no fool when it came to sensing that there was something different between them now that was not only greater than the friendship they had created so long ago, but also fighting at each of their minds to win over the friendship. It was not a bad fight, per say, but it was a difficult one, and Silaerín had no idea which one would win over in the end. Truthfully, she did not want to act on this 'something different', as she feared that if she did, their previous friendship would never go back to the way it had been before if something were to go astray... like her father showing up and locking her away in a dungeon. And just the fact that she did not know what this 'something different' was, scared her. What was this? Was this a physical attraction to him? Or was it something more profound? Was it a combination of things? Was this friendship _and_ love?  
  
Oh, why did it have to be so confusing?  
  
"Silaerín?"  
  
She was faintly aware of her name being called, but kept her eyes on the gloomy, grey weather outside the window of the library. Rain was coming down in sheets now, but the wind had died down slightly.  
  
"Silaerín?" the voice came again, but she did not respond. "There is no chance that I will teach you to fight with a sword or shoot an arrow if you cannot even concentrate on this simple game of strategy."  
  
Silaerín moved her eyes to the silver-grey ones of the peredhil looking back at her. The look held within the aged pair of eyes was serious. "It is only a game, Elladan."  
  
"But I will not teach you a skill when you cannot maintain a level of concentration that you need when you are fighting," he replied.  
  
She sighed heavily and stared at him for a long time, debating on what to say. "I was never this lacking in concentration before you came along."  
  
"Excuse me?" he asked, raising a dark brow in sarcastic curiousness.  
  
"It is yours and Elrohir's fault for breaking me of my superior concentration and dedication when I was in Imladris," Silaerín said, though it was only a half truth. "Now I cannot even sit through a short conversation with one of my ladies without day dreaming about something."  
  
He scoffed and pushed back from his seat, folding his arms across his chest in exasperation. "I cannot believe you. You are so cynical now. Elrohir and I never made you anything, it was your own free choice to do what you wished."  
  
Silaerín looked at her white game pieces, most of them in front of Elladan after having being taken off the board. Her eyes then drifted towards the window again, and she stood up. "I need to leave, Elladan. I need to clear my mind."  
  
"Leave? What do you mean? Leave Mithlond? While I am sure you would be more focused elsewhere than in your father's land..." he began, trailing off as he followed after her.  
  
She glanced at him and smiled, "I am going out."  
  
"Where are you going?" he question, clearly becoming distressed with her actions and words. "You cannot go alone, wherever it is you decide to run to."  
  
"Then follow me, Elladan," she replied and continued toward an exit to the outside. Silaerín stepped out on the promenade and inhaled deeply the scent of the rain.  
  
"You cannot be serious. Where do you think you are going to go in this downpour?" Elladan questioned. "I would be wary for myself going out in this."  
  
Silaerín glanced at him. "You can follow me if you wish, Elladan. I need to be free of these stone walls, or I will surely go completely mad."  
  
"You have already gone mad!" he said, following her as she took a few steps to the uncovered air. "And I thought this was about concentration and needing to find it?"  
  
"It is about concentration," she replied, turning to look at him, feeling the water begin to pelt down around her.  
  
Elladan gave her an odd look, "Please explain this to me..."  
  
Silaerín shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "I do not like to be kept inside that dwelling for such a long time, with a friend who deems it necessary to neglect his duties as a friend in the coequal partnership, for some amount of self-preservation."  
  
"Silaerín..." he began. "You are sounding like my mother and grandmother with their obtuse ways of saying things."  
  
"You know exactly what I mean, Elladan," she said, meeting his eyes again and holding them for a few moments before turning quickly and walking off into the rain.  
  
"Silaerín, I am serious about this rain. Please stay in," he begged, grabbing a hold of her hand.  
  
She laughed, grasping his fingers with hers, pulling him further in the direction she was headed. She called to him over the pouring of the rain, "I have done this many times before, Elladan. Trust me, I shall be fine. And you will be fine if you quit acting as though I may shatter if you touch me or even come near me. I am fragile, but I am not _that_ fragile."  
  
"I do not think you will shatter," he defended halfheartedly.  
  
"But you do," Silaerín said. "You act as though I am the finest, most fragile piece of glass crystal and you are afraid to touch me for worry that you will break me with your large, battle roughened hands. So to make sure that you do not break me, you stay at arm's length and gaze at me longingly, wishing to touch me."  
  
Elladan stopped suddenly, and did not move from his spot, "Is this supposed to be symbolic of something? Or do you say it with a degree of frankness?"  
  
Silaerín stopped and let his hand slip from his before he could hold her in place with his strong grip. She continued on her path, into a small oasis of green palms and slick-looking green grass. A small pool of water sat in the middle of this, a short, trickling waterfall to the side of this, falling to the pool while sheltering a small alcove in the wall of rock behind it. She stopped for a short moment and turned around to look for Elladan, because she had not heard him following after her into this oasis.  
  
She did not see him, and figured that he was still outside of the thick lining of trees trying to comprehend what had just happened. A laugh found itself on her lips as she shook her head in amusement. Really, she did not even know what had just happened, even though she was the one who had orchestrated it all. She could not even believe she had said those rather obvious double-entendres. But they had slipped from her mouth rather easily, and she felt particularly unabashed by saying them, which was also surprising to her. Perhaps she had gone mad and it was only beginning to manifest itself in her particularly abnormal actions.  
  
It could have even been a dream for all she knew... a dream that was allowing her mind the opportunity to play out the possible outcomes should she decide to do something like this.  
  
Silaerín sighed and turned back in the direction she had started, only to run into a wall of wet tunic and hard flesh. Carefully, she stepped back a little, and then began to take another step back so that she could peer at his eyes rather than his very imposing, muscled chest that was now very evident through his rain-soaked clothing, as it clung closely to his body. But her movement backward was impeded by his hands grabbing her upper arms and sufficiently holding her in place. His grip was not so strong on her that she could not free herself from him, but, at this point, the last thing she wanted to do was free herself from him. Any elleth would have understood if they saw the way the particularly handsome he-Elf was now looking at her.  
  
His eyes met hers again, but only for a brief moment in seriousness, before he let them travel down the length of her body and back up again. Elladan had tried to conceal these glances so that they remained as furtive as he could manage, to not give her any idea what was going through his mind, but now it seemed that he did not care that she knew exactly what he was doing.  
  
A blush threatened to break out from this close consideration, but she took in a deep breath to try to quiet her nerves as best she could. The last thing she would give Elladan the pleasure of right now was a blush. He met her eyes again, a certain mysterious twinkle in them that had not been there before. And added to this twinkle was a large smile. "My lady, the next time you go out into the rain, with the intention of becoming quite soaked, perhaps it would be better if you wore a gown of some other color than white."  
  
And the offending blush overtook her then, completely engulfing her body in a red tint as she surreptitiously tried to look down at herself to see how bad it truly had become. Thankfully, the translucency of her gown was as not as bad as Elladan had made it sound. However, that did nothing to ease her concern that she was standing in front of a very male Elf, who was like herself in that his clothes were sticking to his body in probably the most inopportune places- for him anyway- though they were quite opportune places for her eyes. But she could not stare at him as shamelessly as he was doing to her.  
  
Elladan chuckled lowly, almost huskily, and it drew her attention up to his eyes. She pursed her lips, "Are you laughing at me?"  
  
"Nay, Silaerín," he replied. "I am only laughing at the situation we have placed ourselves in."  
  
"You did not have to follow me," she said. "I just needed to be outside for a short while to think."  
  
Elladan smiled softly and reached up to brush the wet hair sticking to her forehead and cheeks away. "Silaerín, you must know by now that I would follow you anywhere."  
  
"Just so long as you did not have to be near me," she remarked.  
  
He sighed, "I thought, and I still do think that it would be better for me stay as far from you as I can while still remaining a friend."  
  
"I am no innocent, Elladan," she said. "I know why you wish to stay as far from me as possible, but I think it is complete foolishness. Just because I am grown now and may look slightly different than I once was, has not changed _me_. I am still the Silaerín you once knew, only older and mature."  
  
Elladan nodded his head, and said, "That is the problem, Silaerín. I cannot, under good conscience, be near you because I will do something I will regret towards you. You were like my sister once, if not only my friend, and I do not wish to ruin that because of urges that I now have for the matured Elf-maiden standing in front of me."  
  
"But what if you are not the only one with these urges?" she questioned. "Surely you have realized that I too feel the same about you."  
  
"It is wrong to act on these urges, though, Silaerín, when we do not even love each other," he replied.  
  
Silaerín scoffed and turned away from him now, "And this comes from the person who constantly thinks we should be wed, and that will save me from my father! Please explain your reasoning to me, for I do not see anything but ludicrousness."  
  
"Well, I..." he began but trailed off.  
  
"Do you see?" she turned to look at him, giving him a sharp glare. "For all your need to help me, I do not even think you have thought of what 'binding' to me means. I know you are no innocent either, Elladan. Surely you have had these impure thoughts about others, and may have even acted upon them, for all I know. But you do realize, that should I relent and we were to wed, we would find ourselves in this same position. And if I am to be with you for the rest of my long life, I would like to live it in a sense of romantic love, where my husband will not be scared to touch me for the worry that I may break or that he may be going against some unwritten rule of loyalty and respectability to a friend. I would wish to be seen in some other light than the young Silaerín you befriended in Imladris."  
  
He gave her a blank stare, as though he were dumbfounded, or at least trying to process what she had just said to him. Elladan sighed, "My feelings for you, Silaerín, run deep. Even though we have been separated, the moment I saw you again I felt them there. But then I realized how beautiful you had become, and felt these physical urges as well, and I grew nervous. I have never had these emotions invade me so readily as they do when you are around."  
  
Silaerín felt her resolve soften when he said that in such a sincere manner. "Elladan, I know that it may not yet be love that we share. It may not ever be love, but I still cannot push down these feelings I have. If I did, I would surely burst."  
  
"But I do love you, only I do not know in which way," he replied.  
  
"Then perhaps we should spend some 'quality' time with each other without you being worried you will hurt me," she suggested.  
  
"Silaerín, what are you saying? You wish me... nay, you wish us to..." he trailed off and met her eyes, where she could see a good amount of fright within them.  
  
"Aye," she replied. "There is no other ellon I would rather experience that with. We need not do that right away, if you do not wish. Perhaps it would be better for us if we did not think in those terms, and just let it happen if it did. All I really want is to spend time with you, so that I may try to figure these feelings in my head out for myself. I am confused right now, and I am working doubly hard to try to understand what is happening between us, and that is why I have been absentminded this week."  
  
"You ask a great deal of me, Silaerín, if we were to experience each other in the way you are alluding to." Elladan said. "And I do not know if I would be able to treat you as you would wish. I have not the practice, knowledge, nor skill you think I have."  
  
Silaerín placed her hands on his shoulders, and smiled warmly, "Then we will learn together, Elladan."  
  
He smiled and chuckled, a slight redness creeping to his ears, "I never thought, of all the things we have spoken of and after all the trouble we have had with you being shy, you would be the one to suggest this, and I would be the shy one about it."  
  
"It is because you have subjected me to the likes of your overactive mind," she laughed. "And in that process, changed yourself."  
  
"Silaerín?" he questioned quietly.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
His smile evened out and he became serious, gazing deeply into her eyes, "May I kiss you?"  
  
Silaerín almost wanted to laugh at how he seemed like a nervous Elfling asking for something from their parents that they probably would never receive, but she did not. "Elladan, you do not have to ask me. We will get nowhere if you always feel the need to ask me if something is fine to do to me. Just act with me as you would with those ellyth in Imladris Elrohir has told me so much about."  
  
"But you are much different, Silaerín," he replied, leaning down over her, but not touching her lips. Instead he brushed his lips over her temple, and then her cheek. "You are a special elleth who is more deserving of special attentions than the others."  
  
"I doubt that very much so," she said. "But I will if you truly think that, then I will not stop you."  
  
"Good," he said, and after a moment of silence between them, bent over her some more, and placed his lips to hers. It started out with great promise, the passion behind it very evident, but he quickly pulled away from her and smiled.  
  
"This does not mean you can tease me," she warned.  
  
Elladan laughed, "Oh, but it does. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that teasing adds a great deal to what you have you outlined."  
  
"That is not fair," she whimpered, but again he placed his soft lips to hers and held her close to him.  
  
"Life is not fair, Silaerín," he whispered against her lips and instead of pulling away, engaged her in a passion-filled exchange. Silaerín could not quite explain what was going on her head, and it was clouded now by the passion filtering through her senses and her need for more of him. Perhaps that was all that had been going through her head to begin with- maybe she just needed this attention from him.  
  
They were both so into the excitement of this first kiss that they had not the ability to pay attention to their surroundings, or that someone had been watching them. That was until there was a loud, angry, "Silaerín!"  
  
She jumped away from Elladan quickly not gauging her distance correctly to the pool of water. Landing off balance on the very edge, she struggled to keep herself upright, but to no avail as a pain shot up her right leg and locked it into place. Soon she was in the water, and cursing whoever it was that had yelled. Silaerín began to make her way to the surface, but she felt hands about her waist as she was being lifted. After a few moments of becoming oriented with her surroundings again, she found that it was Elladan who had jumped into the water.  
  
"Are you hurt?" Elladan asked, worriedly.  
  
"Nay, I am fine, I think," she replied and made her way to the edge of the water. Elladan lifted her out and set her down, but as she placed he weight on her foot, it began to give out again. He noticed this and steadied her, and she looked about for the person who had interrupted them.  
  
Elladan laughed at her, "You are hurt."  
  
And then she spotted Celin only a short distance away now as he marched to stand before them. The Teler Elf looked between them, but his gaze fixed on Elladan. "What do you think you were doing with my sister?"  
  
"Celin, please," Silaerín said, but she was ignored.  
  
"If my father knew what just happened-," Celin continued, grabbing for her.  
  
"He would do what?" Elladan questioned.  
  
Silaerín could feel him tensing beside her, and she saw that she needed to end this right now before the confrontation got any worse. "Celin, I am fine. Elladan did not harm me, and you should be ashamed for spying on us."  
  
"Silaerín, be quiet," Celin looked at her.  
  
With that snide comment toward her, she felt Elladan tense even more and his grip tighten on her waist where he was holding her. "I will not be quiet, and you will leave us alone."  
  
"No, I will not," he replied.  
  
Silaerín rolled her eyes, "I am not going to argue with you Celin. If you are truly worried for me, row to the Isle and find Ada. Perhaps on the way, your boat will capsize and we will be free of you. Come on, Elladan. I need to change into dry clothes."  
  
She took a few steps, and her foot was unable to hold her again. Elladan was swift, and caught her fall. He glanced down at her, "You are not walking back."  
  
"Then how do you propose we get back?"  
  
Without replying, he lifted her easily in his arms and carried her away. She felt conflicted now. Should she be angry at Celin's outburst, or overjoyed that she and Elladan had finally talked about their situation? It was just too much to think about. Silaerín looked back toward Celin, and found him glaring vehemently at them. She knew it was only a matter of time now before her father received word of this, storm or no storm.  
  
--------  
_A/N: I'll address the issue of Elf sex right now. I think that Elves may have sexual relations before marriage, but it does not come without a price of developing a bond that will always be there. Accroding to LACE, the union of bodies is considered marriage, but I think that some form of a ceremony is probably held. If that means that before having sexual relations, they express their vows to each other, that would be a marriage. But without speaking them to each other, they are not "married". Enjoy, and please remember to drop me a note!_


	12. Mithlond: The Beginning

Chapter 11- Mithlond: The Beginning

Elladan glanced down at the elleth in his arms, and had to laugh at himself. Of all the things that could have happened on this trip, this was the last thing he had expected. He could have never seen it coming, no matter how hard he tried to see it over the past week. Silaerín and her streaks of bravery were something that he was used to and could usually predict, but this was courage from her he had never seen or heard before. The likelihood of this elleth actually broaching the subject she had, and speaking of them with such a serious, straight face, was as slim a one as the possibility that she would one day be free of her father's controlling. For a few moments he even had to look at her closely to make sure she was the same elleth, and not some imposter that had a remarkable resemblance to her. It was just so unlike her...

And he was the last person he thought that would be so bashful about the things they had spoken of, but the truth was, there was no other elleth or woman in Arda that he felt the same about, as he did with Silaerín. It was this personal knowledge that had worried him the most. He worried that he would never be able to stand up to the image of perfection she had somehow built up in her mind. And he would never, ever feel as though he deserved to be with her in any shape or form besides that of a friendship. He knew what he did on a regular basis with females, granted that it was not much in some people's eyes, and it did nothing to make him feel better. She deserved someone better than he; someone who did not do those things habitually. He was not perfect, he never could be perfect, and he would never equal her. He would always feel secondary to how breathtaking she truly was.

No matter how courageous she became on the subjects she had broached, he would still by the more experienced. He would still feel like he was taking advantage of her every time he touched her. Even though she was brave in her words, Elladan knew that when words ran out and her mouth was occupied by other things, she would be the shy, and nervous, Silaerín... the Silaerín that they both knew hid beneath the strong words.

"I would kill him if he was not my brother," Silaerín seethed, glancing quickly at him and drawing him out of his reverie.

He looked down at her, "You do not know how to."

She scoffed, "What do you mean I do not know how? I think I could efficiently operate a small dagger of some sort."

"True," he replied, and let a chuckle escape him. "Remind me to stay a good distance from you when you are angry and close to a dagger."

"If I can see through my fury, then I will remember to," she said, and met his eyes. "But I would think twice before angering me."

Elladan smiled to himself, "Aye, I have learned that much."

Each grew silent as Elladan turned to the side so that they could fit through the tiny entranceway into one of the main halls. And he did not know if it was fortunately or unfortunately, but it so happened that his mother and sister were sitting together a little way down the open-aired corridor, watching the storm from their vantage point and talking. His mother was the first to notice the sodden pair, and jumped to her feet quickly.

"What has happened?!" she questioned worriedly. "Why were you two out in this weather?"

Silaerín spoke before he could even think of a decent excuse, "I was growing tired of sitting in. I have gone out before in storms like these, but what I was not prepared for was slipping into a pool of water."

Celebrian nodded her head slowly, she only believing half of what Silaerín was saying. Elladan had seen this look many times before, and still to this day did he receive such looks from her, most recently because of his consorts with ellyth. And considering their current position, he was not surprised that she would be curious, though he did not expect she would act in such a way when it was Silaerín in context.

"She has hurt her leg," Elladan said, drawing her attention away from Silaerín. "And that is why I am carrying her, Naneth."

His mother chuckled, and sighed, "Take her to her chambers, Elladan."

Obeying his mother, he followed Silaerín's directions to her apartment chambers, while his mother and Arwen followed closely behind them. When they arrived at her chambers, he made a move to set Silaerín down on the bed, but Arwen interceded, "Do not set her on the bed. She is sopping wet."

"Then what would you have me do with her?" he asked sarcastically, though only half joking and he received a perturbed glance from both his mother and Silaerín.

"Set me on the lounge over there," Silaerín directed.

"And once you do that, you may go find your father and ask him to come tend to Silaerín. And then you can change out of your clothes," his mother instructed and glanced at Silaerín. "In the meanwhile, Arwen and I will help you change."

Elladan could not help but feel as though he were being scolded for all of this, as though this were all his doing that Silaerín had gone outside, but there was a slight tone to his mother's voice that told him this was completely different. After all, there had been those many times he had been truly scolded for his doings, Elrohir's doings and their joint doings, and the way his mother was going about this reprimand made him feel slightly suspicious. It seemed like she knew something that she was telling anyone.

"Do you know where Ada is?" Elladan asked, deciding it better to go find his father then trying to figure this mystery out. There would be another time to try to make since of his mother's ambiguous words and mood.

"The last I saw him, he was speaking with Lord Círdan," Celebrían replied. "Go now."

Elladan nodded his head, bowing slightly and leaving the chambers quickly, only to run into Elrohir, his father, and Lord Círdan in the corridor outside the front room. Each of them looked at him suspiciously, in the same way Arwen and his mother had, and it unnerved him. But nothing unnerved him more than the odd glimmer in Círdan's crystal blue-grey eyes. What did he know? Had he known what had happened and that was why he knew that they should come to Silaerín's chambers? Elladan then glanced at Elrohir, knowing exactly what was going through his twin's mind with only the hint of an amused smirk on his face.

"Silaerín is-," he began, but was cut off by his father.

"We know she is injured," Elrond smiled. "Go put on dry garments and come back quickly."

"Aye, Ada," Elladan replied and started down the corridor and to his guest chambers. This was not good. Now, when he was not even sure about his feelings, his entire family and the wise Lord Círdan would be jumping to conclusions.

---------

He returned shortly thereafter, in a clean, dry tunic and a pair of leggings, having had some time to think to himself, and still he was no closer to an answer on how he was going to deal with the inquisitive stares and the first time he was alone with Elrohir, who was sure to be the worst of them all. Stepping into the antechamber of her apartment, he could hear Silaerín's soft voice in a conversation with his father. Where had the other's gone? Were they still in there?

"Now how did you accomplish this again?" his father asked. "It seems impossible to me that an Elf could lose her balance so easily. Were you distracted by something?"

Elladan nearly choked then, and held his breath as he waited for Silaerín's response. The elleth sighed, "This is like the time you got me to admit what Elladan and Elrohir were doing in my chambers. Fortunately, I have learned not to fall for such things."

His father laughed, "Aye, that was rather easy to get you to break your silence, and I admit that I did take advantage of your trust when I said I would not tell them, because I did scold them for it."

Elladan could not believe what he was hearing. So it was Silaerín that ratted them out so long ago about being in the wardrobe? He knew all along that she was the only who could have done it, but he always made excuses that it was just his mother jumping to conclusions and his father believed her, or that someone had heard their discussing it at some other point. This was priceless information, and now it was time for he and Elrohir to devise someway to adequately give Silaerín her just desserts.

"You told them?" Silaerín questioned. "My lord, I thought I could trust you."

"You can trust me," he spoke, "but at the time I thought it more pertinent that they be scolded for hiding in your wardrobe. That was at a time when they needed to outgrow those habits."

Silaerín giggled quietly, "And did they?"

Elrond laughed, "You have been with them for the past few days, do you think that they have?"

"Elrohir, no," she replied. "Elladan, I suppose has not outgrown them, but he has been very quiet since your arrival."

"He has," his father said. "I assure you I do not know what has gotten into him, my lady. Though, I have an inclination to know what it is that has had him silenced these past few days. Perhaps once I learn the truth, I shall employ the same thing that has made him thus, in Imladris."

Elladan could feel his cheeks grow warm, though he tried to fight off the blush. Luckily, though, no one was around to see that the comment had affected him. And he, for certain, by now knew that his father had a very good idea as to what exactly had made his son act in such a way.

"Why do I have feeling you already know what has made him so?" Silaerín questioned.

"Because I was a young ellon once myself, though you may not believe that," his father said and then Elladan could hear the shifting of robes, signaling his father moving or at least standing from someplace. "Your ankle shall be fine by the morrow, but in the meanwhile, I will send Mílwen in to tend to you."

"Thank you," she replied.

Elladan stood out of the way of the doorway so that he would not be seen when the door was opened, wondering why his father had asked him to come back when he was not needed. His father opened the door and stepped into the outer room, glancing in his direction with a smile. He shut the door and motioned for Elladan to follow out into the corridor.

"What is it, Adar?" he questioned.

"How long were you listening?" Elrond asked.

"Long enough," Elladan replied. "Why?"

Elrond nodded his head and sighed heavily, "It was Celin who came to tell us what had happened."

"Elbereth," Elladan let this out in long breath. "And what has he told you?"

"Besides the fact that you were acting horribly distasteful towards his sister, doing things to her that were unacceptable in anyone's eyes?" he laughed. "Nothing."

"Ada, you must know I would never disrespect Silaerín in any way that Celin insinuates," Elladan said.

Elrond smiled, "I know you would not. You would not do anything like that because your mother and I have raised you that way. Even if it was not Silaerín, and some other elleth, you would never disrespect any elleth. However, with Silaerín, I believe you are being more heedful of respect with her."

"She deserves that much," Elladan replied.

"Aye, she does," he said. "But I will issue my one warning to you now. While I am overjoyed to see you moving in this direction, I fear what could happen when Nenvír finds out what has happened. And if you continue to grow in love with her, Nenvír will see this and try to prohibit it as much as he possibly can. That could even mean sending her to Aman against her will."

Elladan hung his head, pinching the bridge of his nose to try to fend off the increasing pressure behind his eyes. "I do not even know what is going on between us, Ada. I know that my feelings are not purely friendly anymore, but I do not know if that is signaling love or not."

Elrond sighed, "You will know at the right time if it is truly love or not... it takes time for some to decide that and feel in their heart. But you have plenty of time to decide that and make your choice. I only wanted to broach the subject of Nenvír with you, so you may consider how you will handle the eruption when it happens."

"What does Círdan think? Naneth?" he questioned.

"You need to stop worrying about what everyone thinks, or you will never get anywhere with Silaerín. Do what feels right to you," his father smiled. "Círdan is delighted, I believe. And your mother, well, I believe this is something your mother has wanted since the moment she saw you and Silaerín becoming so close in Imladris."

"I knew that she was acting oddly," Elladan said and shook his head with a short laugh.

Elrond chuckled, "She always acts oddly, Elladan. She is the daughter of Galadriel, of course she will act odd."

"You are lucky Iaurnaneth does not hear you say that," he replied.

"She has the ability to know it without me saying it. Your mother hearing it, however..." Elrond reminded and looked towards the far door to Silaerín's bedchambers. "Now, go tend to Silaerín. I suppose she would like it much better to spend her time laying in bed with you instead of her handmaid."

"What was wrong?" he asked.

"She only strained the muscles in her ankle and foot. It is nothing serious, but she should not walk until the morning," Elrond replied. "Should I have them send the evening meal for both of you?"

Elladan rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the embarrassment he was feeling speaking with his father on the matter. His relationship with his father was very good, but that still did nothing to quell his nerves when he was faced with these comments from his father. He walked to the door and glanced back at him, "Please send some."

He placed his hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath before entering the room. When he entered, however, she was no longer in her bed, but he could see through the balcony doors, that she was not standing under the covering of the balcony, looking out to the Sea. "Ada said you were to stay in bed."

She jumped slightly, and turned swiftly to meet his eyes, holding her robe closer together. "I thought we discussed that when you want my attention, you will at least give me some warning I am not alone."

"I lied," he said quietly, stepping out onto the balcony and joining her side. "And you did not answer my question."

"I can walk on it now," Silaerín said, demonstrating her ability to stand on her left leg.

"I am a fool, but not that much of a fool, Silaerín. It was your right leg that was injured," he laughed.

She met his eyes, her face emotionless for a moment before a devious smile crossed her lips, "You were paying attention."

"Aye, I was. I was also paying attention to Ada when he gave me the instructions that you were to stay in bed for the rest of the afternoon and evening," he said. "And yet you are out of it."

"It does not bother me when I stand on it," she replied, "but getting out here was another thing."

He laughed and quickly bent to lift her up in his arms again, eliciting a laugh and a punch to his chest. "That is awfully feeble resistance."

"I do not feel much like resisting, though I wanted you to know my displeasure of being whisked up so quickly," she said.

Elladan set her down on the bed carefully and straightened himself up, only to look down at her. "Why are you in such a bilious mood?"

"I am still angry with Celin," Silaerín sighed. "And I am worried about what will happen when Adar returns. This storm will not last forever."

"All we can do is hope it is not too horrible," Elladan replied. "But I think we should try to remain as secretive as possible, to cut down on the likelihood of inquisitive eyes finding us and spreading rumors."

She chuckled sarcastically, "Oh, there will still be plenty of gossip. My ladies are quite the busybodies, and if they even see us walking together, then there will be talk."

"You know what I mean about your father," he said.

"Aye, I agree, Elladan," she nodded. "Though he will create ideas anyway if he cannot see what we do in private."

Elladan chuckled, "What do you think we will do privately, my lady?"

"Quit trying to make me uncomfortable," she commanded.

"But it is working, so I think I will continue," he laughed and looked about the room for a chair.

Silaerín moved over on the bed and patted the spot she had vacated, "Sit down."

"You should listen to your own words, mell nín," he said quietly, meeting your eyes. "As long as you continue to make me uncomfortable, I will make you uncomfortable."

She pursed her lips together and crossed her arms over her chest, "Either you can sit, or you can leave. Your choice."

Proving that he was not the fool he said he was not only a few moments ago, he sat down on the bed beside her, glancing at her, "Now what?"

Silaerín smiled and reached up to touch his cheek and run her fingers down his jaw line, "Now we shall finish what we started before we were so rudely interrupted."

-------

Iaurnaneth- grandmother

Ada- Dad

Naneth/Nana- mother/mom

Mell nin- my dear

-----

_A/N: Sorry about the long wait with this one. Monday brought about shopping for wedding dresses, Tuesday was my trip back to the university, and Wednesday had me busy with classes. Today's much needed self-proclaimed snow day is what gave me a moment to sit down and write. I hope you all enjoy!_


	13. Mithlond: A New Storm Front

_Thank you for your continued support, reviewers. And potential reviewers, if you are out there, I would love to hear from you. It makes me want to keep writing, particularly after there has been a mix up on another board. But it has become clear to me that I do not need some fancy site to keep me going, especially with you lovely people here at this archive._

Chapter 12- Mithlond: A New Storm Front

Silaerín woke to the feeling of a warm body beside her and warm sunlight filtering in through the open windows of her chamber. With a slight jolt, she lifted her head up and looked about the room, first outside to find that the storm had dissipated over night, and all that remained were the high billowy white clouds in the azure sky. And then she shifted her eyes to the large, warm body beside her, realizing that it was Elladan and that he was clinging to the last moments of sleep he possibly could, though her sudden movements had awakened him.

She did not know if she should be more surprised that the storm had cleared away so quickly, or that Elladan was in the bed beside her, sleeping peacefully. Blinking her eyes few times, she tried to recall the previous evening, and all that had happened. He came to keep her company and make sure that she stayed in one place and did not hurt her ankle again. Somehow she had gotten him to abandon his chivalrous reserve to find a comfortable seat on the bed beside her. Then there had been a few short kisses between them before there was knock at the door and one of the kitchen servants entered with a large tray of food for them. Well, it had seemed to her like the kisses had been rather short, but it appeared to her that a great deal of time had passed since he found his spot beside her.

After they shared the evening meal together, they engaged themselves in the conversations on topics they had not shared since his arrival. She spoke of the true boredom of sitting with her ladies and listening to their constant drivel, while he told her of stories about finally being allowed to take part in Imladris' guard and some of the things he had seen while on duty. And for some time, they just sat close to each other and listened to the slowly dying storm outside and plop of raindrops on the stone of the dwelling. It was truly amazing to her that nearly a millennium apart from each other had changed very little between them, besides the very obvious fact of their physical growth. And it was also amazing how well they fell into stride, so to speak anyway, with each other as though no time had passed at all.

She must have drifted off to sleep sometime when they were listening to the rain. Silaerín sighed peacefully, and lowered her head again onto his shoulder where it must have laid the entire night because his arm was protectively around her waist and holding her into place. While all of this was so very new to her, it seemed right to be there beside him. However, she wondered why he had not left her there and gone back to his chambers. It seemed like an un-Elladan thing to do, considering how he was uncomfortable with sitting on the bed beside her. But she was not one to complain, and snuggled more closely to him, willing the sun to disappear and it to still be night.

"We cannot stay here all day, you know," came the deep voice and a small rumbling laugh that she could feel with her head against his chest.

"We could try," she replied, sitting up to peer down at him.

"Not when I have already spent the night in bed with you. People will talk," he said, reached his hand up and brushing some of her hair out of her face.

Silaerín smiled, "Let them talk. I would rather be here with you and then have to face the whispers later than have no time with you and still have to face whispers of other things."

"You make a good point, my lady," Elladan smiled and sat up an rested back on his elbows, "but I still have councils with your grandfather to tend to. I was lucky enough to sneak away yesterday."

She sighed and nodded her head, gazing out of a window into the clear sky, "Ada will return soon."

"And when he returns, I shall be ready for whatever verbal assault he cares to unleash on me," he said quietly, turning her face to meet his. "However, if he returns to you and threatens you, I know not what I will do."

"Let him yell," she said. "I have learned enough just to steel myself from it when it happens."

He gave her a look of concern, and sighed, "Silaerín, you must do something about the yelling. It is uncalled for."

"He has not done it lately," she replied.

As though it were on cue, there came a booming voice as the door to her antechamber was thrust open with great force, "Silaerín!"

She felt her heart plummet and her throat close up as she looked at Elladan. He had an equal look of fright on his face, but he swallowed quickly and breathed deeply as though he were trying to clear his mind. They both glanced toward the doorknob, waiting for it to turn, and it did just that, only agonizingly slowly. However, the privacy latch held the door in place and she glanced again at Elladan as they both scrambled to their feet. Had he locked it the last eve?

"Open the door, Silaerín!"

How had word gotten to him so quickly? She thought she would at least have one day to enjoy Elladan without having to worry about the eyes of her father watching her every move.

"One moment, Ada," she called as calmly as she could manage, her eyes still on Elladan. What was he going to do? If her father saw any evidence that Elladan had spent the night in her chambers there was a good chance Elladan would be gelded, whether she could convince her father that they had just fallen asleep or not.

Elladan smiled impishly, pulling her to him and placing a soft, sweet kiss upon her lips as though he were trying to calm her nerves by doing that. He let her go and walked in the direction of the opening out onto the balcony, and she was sure he would continue on outside to find some way to scale down the stone wall to another balcony, but he paused in front of her large wardrobe.

"Silaerín, now!"

Silaerín glanced toward the door quickly and back towards Elladan, to find him contorting himself as he began climbing into the wardrobe. It was quite comical to see him squeeze into such a small space, but even more hysterical to remember her first day in Imladris. She tried to stop the laughter from rising to her mouth, but it was useless and she let out a loud snort as Elladan winked at her and closed the door. And once again, she was surprised he had been able to fit into the wardrobe.

"Silaerín..."

"Adar," she said calmly, walking to the door and opening it for him. "Suilad."

He pushed past her and into the room, beginning a thorough search behind doors and beneath furniture. She noted that he looked windblown and slightly unkept, signaling that he had not even stopped to freshen himself upon his arrival. He had come straight from the docks to deal with this. "Where is he?"

"Where is who, Adar?" she questioned, trying to remain as emotionless as possible. The one thing she never learned to do in all of her lessons was to act, and she could only hope she was believable.

Her father continued his search and walked toward the balcony, and she sucked in a sharp breath as he paused for a moment in front of the wardrobe. He glanced at her, but continued on his way. Coming back into the room, he stood before her, looking her over, trying to discern if there were any changes about her. "Where is he, Silaerín?"

"Where is who?" she questioned again.

"Do not think I cannot see it, Silaerín," he replied. "And do not think me foolish either."

"There is no one here, Adar," she said. "However, I know you have stormed in here because of word from Celin."

He clenched his jaw, "Where is the peredhil? I wish to give him a piece of my mind, and also give him a lesson on how to act around ellyth."

Silaerín chuckled lightly, "Ada, I think he knows how to act around ellyth perfectly. He has had a great deal of practice with his sister and mother."

"But that is not always the case with an ellon with one thing on his mind," he said.

"You make assumptions that are not true, Adar. Elladan would never intentionally act distastefully to any elleth, beside the fact that it is not in an Elf's nature to do so," she replied, walking to her dressing table and sitting down. He watched her closely in the mirror as she began to comb her hair out.

"I do not wish you to keep on this charade with him, Silaerín. We both know nothing will even come of anything that may occur on this stay," her father said. "I would not consent to anything between you and the peredhil."

She turned and glared at him, "What you wish and what I do are two completely different things."

"Are you suggesting that you will disobey me?" he questioned with a grunt. "And I fail to see how this union would be good for you, if it were to become a union. What do you see in Elrond's son, when you have the attentions of another here in Mithlond?"

"Of another? You speak of Bainon?" she asked incredulously, and let out laugh. "I care not of Bainon. He is just like you."

"Celin and he have been friends for a long while, and he is an honorable harbor guard," he explained. "He is also fully Sindar, as Elrond's son is not."

"You are prejudiced of him because he has Noldorin blood? Blood does not matter as long as you are a good Elf," she said.

Her father laughed, it almost sounding wicked, "How little you know, Silaerín. At least with Bainon, his future is certain that he remain noble and loyal. As for the peredhil, he still has something that he must decide that could shatter you."

"That would not change whether he was noble or not," Silaerín sighed heavily and met her father's eyes. "You can expound upon all of Bainon's qualities until the end of this world, and all of Elladan's lesser ones, but I will not agree with you. And I would think that should he and I grow closer and bind, that he would choose Elf-kind."

"Elleth, you will not continue leading him on. It is a fanciful idea to begin with."

"I am not leading him on, Adar. I truly feel as though..." she began, but was cut off with a wave of his hand.

"I am your father and you will do as I say," he said, in a surprisingly even voice. He sighed then and walked out of the room, closing the outer door with a loud bang.

Silaerín hung her head, covering her face with her hands. Why did it have to happen like this? Why was her father still so bent on making sure she stayed in one place the rest of her life and did what he thought was best? She was capable of making her own decisions, but he apparently did not seem to care. True, it was a parent's prerogative to watch over their child, for some degree for most of their life, but her father took it to the extreme all the time.

The creaking and groaning of the wooden wardrobe sounded through the room, then light footsteps across the stone floor as he made his way over to her. He sat beside her on the bench and placed his fingers under her chin, raising her eyes to his. She sighed, "Elladan, I..."

"Silaerín, you need not say anything," he replied, leaning over to place a soft kiss on her brow.

"What Adar said about Bainon..." she began again.

"Silaerín, I know," he said and touched his lips to her cheek.

Silaerín sighed, "I am sorry for what he said about you."

Elladan smiled slightly, "Some of the things he said were true, pen vain. I do not know how to act correctly around you. Should I be your friend or your lover?"

"I thought we had that all straightened out as of yesterday," she said with a small laugh.

"And she smiles," he said, placing a kiss upon her lips. "Do not worry, Silaerín. I can hold my own against your father. What is the worst he could do?"

She met his eyes, "I care not to think about that."

"Fair enough," Elladan replied. "I must go now, my father will be expecting me before the councils today."

"I cannot believe you could fit into the wardrobe," she said as she watched him move toward the door.

He laughed loudly, "If you tell anyone about this, you will regret it."

"Are you threatening me, my lord?" she asked. "Perhaps my father was correct."

Elladan smiled, "Hardly."

Without saying anything more, he left the room. Silaerín sighed heavily and looked at herself in the mirror. She felt bad now that she had argued with Elladan the previous day about him breaking his reserve and giving into his temptations. Perhaps it would have been better for them to remain friends and nothing more, though she knew not where they stood now besides each having the intention of something more happening between them. He did not deserve the problems that were sure to ensue with her father. No one did. And at least as a friend, the problems would not be so large.

Maybe it would just be better to tell Elladan that she did not want to continue on with anything, and perhaps take a serious look at Bainon. He was an admirable Elf, even though she could not say much for his choice in friends with her brother. He was handsome, and a perfect mate for anyone who would have him.

But then, so was Elladan.

"My lady?" Silaerín glanced toward the door when she heard Mílwen entering. The handmaid came into the room and smiled at her, "Your father asked me to come help you prepare for your duties today. We are to plan a welcome gala for our guests now that the storm has moved on."

"Adar wished for this?" she questioned, wondering what had been his reasoning behind this.

"Aye, he did," she said.

Now this was an interesting development.

* * *

"My lady, who is that?"

Silaerín glanced up from the book she had desperately been trying to focus on while her ladies chattered. She met the eyes of a young elleth who, at a reasonably early age, had been thrown into the snake pit of gossiping older ladies by her mother. Silaerín smiled at the elleth, and sighed. This elleth was the one lady she could stand, and probably was because of her naïveté when it came to the operations of the older ellyth in Mithlond.

"I am surprised you do not know that, Fuineth, with all the talk that you ellyth do," Silaerín replied. "Even with the storm."

"It is Elrohir, Elrond's son. The family has come to visit," another of the ladies spoke up. "I think it is quite a lovely thing that they have traveled here to visit. Mine eyes have seen no greater exquisiteness than the likes of these ellon."

Silaerín smiled to herself, "Aye, that is Lord Elrond's son making his way down the corridor, but that is not Elrohir. That is Elladan, his twin brother."

Fuineth's eyes lit up, "There are two of them? They are identical?"

"Aye, they are," another elleth, named Arodeth, spoke up. This happened to be Fuineth's mother, and the chief of the ladies since Silaerín's mother's time running the court of Mithlond. She was also the most churlish and ill-mannered one of them all. Everything she did was for a personal gain of her own. It was no wonder that Silaerín's mother hated the court so much, besides the fact that Arodeth never forgave Alphril for wedding the ellon she intended to. And Arodeth continued, "And it would suit you, being the young elleth you are, to become close with them. Either of the two would make a fine match for you."

Silaerín tried not to scoff at that, however Fuineth was one elleth she would not mind introducing Elrohir to. Though, Silaerín would never do that, because of her friendship with Elrohir. It would be cruel to subject Elrohir to the likes of Arodeth, who was, unfortunately, exactly like Silaerín's father. Perhaps if she talked Fuineth into it, they could mount a coalition against their parents.

"Oh, he is coming over here," one of the other elleth nearly squealed, in a slightly undignified manner. Really, it was as though they sounded like giggly young elleth who were in the presence of some great Elven warrior. Like the way she acted around such Elves as Glorfindel, Galadriel and Celeborn. Silaerín met his eyes, giving him a quizzical look as he came to stand before them.

He bowed his head slightly to the ladies and smiled, "Good day, my ladies. Lady Silaerín's presence is requested with her father."

The first thing to go through her mind then was about what could have possibly gone on to warrant Elladan coming to fetch her for her father's business. It sounded suspicious to begin with, but she made sure to not show that to the others, "This instant?"

"Aye, my lady," he replied.

Silaerín closed her book and stood up, looking about at her companions, "Please excuse me."

Elladan offered his arm to her, and she took it, meeting his eyes again and trying to get some prescience into what was going on. He remained closed off from her and silent as they walked along the corridor and away from the excited chatter now traveling between the ellyth. It was not until they were a good distance away and in a corridor less traveled, that he paused and looked down at her for a moment.

"What has happened that my father wishes to see me?" she asked.

He smiled mysteriously, and pulled her to him, placing a kiss on her lips. He said nothing more and took a hold of her hand, pulling her along and out of the dwelling into the fresh air. Silaerín, however, stuck her heels in the ground and said, "Tell me what you are doing."

"You are not any fun. Why can you not like surprises?" he asked.

"You know I do not like surprises," she replied. "At least now I can stand up to you, even though you are still considerably larger than me."

Elladan chuckled, and stood closely to her, as though emphasizing his size by looking down his nose at her. He sighed, "Aye, I am larger than you, and I could easily throw you over my shoulder, but if your brother or father were to see that, I do not think that would be very good for us. So now, just be thankful that I have gotten you away from your ladies."

"Where are you taking me?" she asked.

"You, my lady, are going to start learning how to use a bow and arrow," he smiled, pulling her along again.

Silaerín laughed at him. Well, at least her father had not killed him over the matter. Or perhaps it was that he had not seen her father. She shook her head and followed after him, not caring who saw them together.

------

Suilad- hello

Adar/Ada- Father/Dad

Pen vain- beautiful one

_A/N: Elvish sleep- yes I know it says that Legolas rests with his eyes open, so in that much all Elves should do that. But the operative word in there is "rest", and I think that to truly sleep, one must close their eyes. This is the restorative, deep kind of sleep. Elves are not meant to need a ton of sleep, so most of the time they rest peacefully and slip into a trance/nap type thing like the one Tolkien describes with Legolas and keeping his eyes open._


	14. Mithlond: Trust

_Again, my friends, sorry about the wait. But the good news is, I took yesterday evening to outline to rest of the story. So now it's all up to me finding time and effort to put the chapters in lovely little packages for you all. But never fear- it's a long way away from being finished. It is my prerogative to fully immerse you in the loveliness of Elladan._

Chapter 13- Mithlond: Trust

"You are doing well for your first time, Silaerín," Elladan said as he watched her adjust her feet and her torso to aim the bow. It was apparent to him that she had received some training using a bow, as she was able to sufficiently pull back the taught string and send the arrow flying toward the target in a manner that allowed her to hit the target, however inaccurate she was. Most Elves just starting out were barely able to pull back the bow string, much less hit the target at all. Except, he had to note, that even though she did have experience using a bow, the lessons had obviously ended quickly and she had not received any pointers in technique to help her with her aim.

He stood back and watched her as she sent an arrow flying. It had been a bad idea for him to pull her away to come practice this skill alone. It was not that he did not like to spend intimate time with Silaerín, but now that there was a vast new playing field for him to operate in, he found it extremely hard to concentrate on the normal things when she was around.

She placed the end of the bow at her feet and leaned against it, glancing at him with a soft smile, "I thought you were supposed to be giving me lessons, not staring at me?"

He chuckled lowly to himself and looked at the ground for a moment before walking over to her. She began to turn, following him as he stepped past her, but he quickly grabbed her waist to hold her in one place and situate himself behind her. He placed his mouth beside her ear and said in a quiet, furtive manner, "And I thought you had no experience with a bow whatsoever."

"So I lied," she replied quietly, trying unconvincingly to mask the affect he had on her by standing so closely and whispering into her ear.

Elladan brushed his lips against the junction where her smooth jaw met her ear lobe, and he again delighted in the shiver that started from the base of her spine, all the way up her back. It was just evident enough that he could feel it against his waist and his chest as it traveled up her body. And in return, he too felt an all too familiar stirring within the pit of his belly and lower, though it was a frequent stirring he had never fully acted upon. However, he had feeling that would not be the case much longer.

"You still have not gotten over that most unpleasant mannerism of lying," he said, brushing his lips against her ear again.

Silaerín giggled lightly, "It would seem to me, though, that such lying has garnered exactly what I wanted all along."

"And what was that, pen velui?" he questioned.

"I should think it would be obvious," Silaerín replied with a wicked smile, a hand reaching behind her and coming into contact with his ear tip. He thought for a moment to stop her, but as her soft fingers traced up the contour of his ear, and stayed at his ear tip with short caresses, there was no chance his body would allow him to stop her, no matter how much his rational mind wanted to stay her hands. He had not expected her to know that any caress of the tip of an Elf's ear would be so distracting, and he was, unfortunately, sidetracked enough to allow her to turn to face him. She wrapped her arms about his neck, laying the bow at her feet before doing so. "You should know that even though I am normally timid about many things, I do know how to control a male quite effectively. If there has been one thing I have learned from my ladies, it would be that. But I am glad it works the same with peredhil as it supposedly does with an edhel."

Elladan laughed, and pulled her against him so that there was no chance for anything to pass between them, not even air. And for once, he was not the least bit worried of what Silaerín may think about his more than obvious excitement after her display of affection by touching his ear. "There is little difference between me and an Elf, Silaerín. The only things that may be different are the quality of my hearing and my eyesight. Besides that, I am as ellon as they may come."

Silaerín's lips quirked into a sly smile, and her hands left their spot from around his neck and slowly traveled down his shoulders, and across his chest. Elladan squeezed his eyes shut, trying in vain to keep his bodily reactions in check. It was a worthless fight, though, with a female doing this to him... much less a female whom he cared for so deeply, but was not yet ready to tell her that. Perhaps that was another thing that was different about him and a true Elf. Perhaps it was the influence of the race of Men in his blood that had him giving into his urges so easily.

"There _are_ a few other things that are different about you," she said quietly, meeting his eyes. "For one thing, you are certainly much larger than the average Elf. And I am also pleased that you are not so impossible to break of your reserve, and I do think that has to do with the blood of Men in you. I am tired of Elves who are so perfect that they cannot even admit defeat when they come to it, or Elves who do not show any emotion because they claim it to be against Elven nature to be ruled by one's feelings and heart."

Elladan looked down at her, surprise washing over him, "My lady, how did you know what I was thinking?"

Silaerín smiled, and stood on her toes for moment to reach his lips. She settled herself back on her feet and met his eyes, "I am surprised you have not figured that out yet. I was given a slight ability of prescience into the minds of others, though I know not why. It is often times of no use to me, but other times, like when I am with you or Elrohir, it is easy to pick up on what you are thinking. Grandfather says that it is because of the affinity I share with others that allows me to use it, but I do not know for what purpose I was given this ability beyond that of what Elves could share normally."

He held her gaze, and stroked her cheek with his hand, "That is how you can tell us apart so easily."

"Only when I cannot see your eyes," she said. "There is a slightly different gleam in yours than is in Elrohir's. I can always tell it is you from your trivial mannerisms that others may not notice. And you cannot deny this, but there has always been a deeper bond between you and I from the very beginning, and that is why it is easier for me to discern difference between you two. "

"I could deny it, but I would be lying," he replied. He wanted to tell her he loved her, that he would always love her, no matter what separated them, but something kept him from doing that. Perhaps it was the knowledge that they may not see each other for an age or more, or that she could find some other ellon more worthy of her than he was, or that he father could do something unthinkable, like send her to Aman against her consent. But he knew what it was... he was not yet prepared to give away his heart so freely, the decision that would probably make his choice for him. He was not old enough to know that the choice to remain Elven was one that he wanted, even if he did love her now.

Silaerín glanced up at him and smiled slightly, "We are young yet, Elladan, and the state of the affairs of this world would prohibit any permanent thing from happening between us for awhile. There is no need to proclaim anything now."

"But I thought that was what you wanted," he replied.

"Nay, what I wanted was for you to know that it was acceptable for you to act on your feelings and urges if that was what you wanted," she said. "You will leave in less than a days time, to go back to Imladris to deal with the pressing matters of Arda. As much as I am sad to see your stay end so abruptly, it is what you must do."

"Ada said that we could stay behind if we wished," he said. "It is a council of the chief Eldar that my father and your grandfather seek, not a council with young ellon."

Silaerín smiled, "But your father may need you, nonetheless. You should go."

He sighed, thinking back to the meeting earlier in the morning he held with Círdan and his father and brother. The decision to go back to Imladris had not been made solely on the fact there were pressing matters that needed to be discussed there. The second part of the decision came on the cusp of the reaction in which Elladan's interest in Silaerín had sparked with Nenvír. Elladan decided, as well as the others, that it would be best to leave now to let the tension cool and the thought of a possible union between he and Silaerín set in Nenvír's mind before any more drastic measures were taken. But Elladan was willing to allow one whim of Silaerín's fancy; if she should ask him to stay, he would.

Luckily, she had not been able to intercede that thought. Or she had, but was doing a remarkable job of hiding her disappointment. However, he thought it better to operate on the assumption that she did not intercede it. Silaerín sighed, "Elladan?"

"Yes, pen velui?"

"You will write while we are still apart, correct?" she asked.

"Only if you promise to do the same," he laughed and leaned over to kiss her. Someone cleared their throat in the clearing, and she began to pull away quickly, but Elladan held her firmly in place. Even if it were her brother or father there, he did not care.

He glanced in the direction the sound had come from to find Elrohir standing there with Arwen, both of his siblings with equally foolish grins on their faces. Elrohir stepped forward, "Just because of these new feelings, does not mean you may monopolize all of Silaerín's time. She has other friends, you know."

Silaerín laughed and rested her head against Elladan's shoulder as she looked in their direction, "Whoever said I was friends with you, Elrohir? You and Elladan are always together, so I had to take the bad with the good."

Elrohir scoffed, "Fine then."

She giggled and pushed away from him then, and walked over to Elrohir, throwing her arms about his neck in an exaggerated embrace. "Oh please, Elrohir, you will always be a very good friend. And if Elladan does not work out, I will always have you."

Elladan found himself rolling his eyes at her remark, and walked over to join his siblings and Silaerín just as Elrohir leaned over and placed a kiss upon Silaerín's brow. Elladan found that he was not exactly jealous of Elrohir's kiss, but it was slightly weird seeing his identical twin do that. He brushed the thought away and sighed heavily, "We have the rest of the afternoon to do what we please."

"Perhaps an excursion about Mithlond would suit you all, since we have been restricted to the inside since the beginning of your visit?" Silaerín asked.

"That sounds lovely," Arwen said.

With that, Silaerín led them to the stables and each took their time preparing their horses. He mentioned that perhaps Silaerín would like to share his saddle, but she only smiled and ran a finger teasingly down his cheek, and said, "Now, would that be a very good idea considering the state you are already are in?"

He felt the blush creep to his cheeks and ears, and he hoped it was not too obvious to the others. "You are evil."

Silaerín only smiled and easily jumped atop her mare's back. As they started out on the trek about Mithlond, Arwen pulled Silaerín back so that the ellyth were riding side by side at a slow walk, and he and Elrohir were made to lead them, even though he had no idea where to go. It would have seemed to him that Arwen wanted to speak to Silaerín about something important by the way they whispered and made faces when either he or Elrohir would turn to look at them. Really, sometimes he hated being left out of conversations, especially when he knew that he was probably the topic of the conversation.

Unfortunately the excursion was not as he had planned, but he was happy to see that his sister obviously approved of Silaerín. It was important to him that not only did Círdan approve, but so did his family. And now that Silaerín had met all of them, he was pleased that they all enjoyed her. Now if he could only do the impossible and make Nenvír believe he was not the scourge upon Arda. Elladan had to laugh at himself, thinking of that. It would be a long time before Nenvír even saw Silaerín as anything more than a bane on his existence, so the chances of changing Nenvír's mind of him was slim.

As they came back into the stables and dismounted, Elrohir and Arwen left them alone to talk, and Elladan took the opportunity ask what she and Arwen had been talking about. Silaerín looked at him and smiled, "Wouldn't you like to know. Regrettably, I cannot tell you. If you were meant to know that we were speaking of, you would have been included in the conversation."

"Why is there need to be so secretive?" he asked.

"Because there is need," she smiled again, turning around toward the stable exit.

"What sort of need?" Elladan questioned as he followed after her.

"Does it matter that it is about ellyth worries, that do not concern you?" Silaerín asked, continuing on her path.

Elladan walked alongside her, "What could you and my sister be speaking of? She is young yet, she does not know yet about these things I suppose you were speaking of."

Silaerín laughed and paused for a moment to look up at him, "She is not that young, Elladan. And I think it would be good for you to understand that she will one day not be a little sister any more. One day she will find someone she loves, and you will have to deal with that. Hopefully you, Elrohir and your father will be better about it than my father and brother are with me."

"No male, be it Elf or Man, is touching my sister," Elladan replied.

"You are just like my brother... that is why he acts like he does," she said. "I know that my brother is different than you in many ways, but I must believe that Celin's spying on me is an innate sense to protect me from evil males like yourself. Even with my father, I must believe that, or I would have no reason to try to be happy here with them constantly breathing down my neck."

"I am not like your brother," he defended.

"Suppose you saw Arwen and an ellon acting in the same way were to each other, Elladan. What would you have done?" she questioned.

Elladan thought for a moment, and knew he would have done exactly what Celin did, plus trying to kill the evil doer who did touch his sister. Perhaps Silaerín was right, that even though her father and brother were extremely wrong in the way they dealt with matters, it was always a sense of love and protectiveness of Silaerín that they felt.

"See?" she questioned. "And that was what the conversation was about. She was asking me how I dealt with my father and brother."

He was silent, and then his eyes opened wide, "Is my sister..."

Silaerín laughed, "Nay, Elladan. There is no ellon that you will need to threaten. But I thought perhaps it would be good to give you this perspective now, so that when it does happen, you do not act like my brother."

Elladan sighed and took her hand in his as they began to walk again toward the dwelling. "I fear that I will be exactly like Celin now."

"You may, but I suppose that would be applauded," Silaerín said, "I appreciate my brother's protectiveness, though it is sometimes obnoxious. Just do not go so far as to decide it is your prerogative to regulate who she spends her time with and who she does not. Let her choose for herself. Respect her judgment and trust her choice."

"Have you spoken to Celin of this?" Elladan asked. "I think he would benefit from hearing this."

"Nay, I have not, and I am not sure he would listen to me," Silaerín replied. "But this only just became clear to me while speaking to Arwen that this is normal behavior from older brothers."

Elladan nodded, and said, "Now I am sorry you told me what you were discussing. Now I will be watching Arwen even more closely."

Silaerín laughed, "I told you that you did not want to hear what we were discussing. Perhaps next time you will trust me?"

"I think I should trust you all the time," he said. "You have never been wrong with the advice you give."

"That is because I only give advice when it deals with something that I live with," she said. "So often do people give advice they have no right giving to others, who know nothing of the facts. Like my father."

He laughed and they remained silent as they continued into the dwelling and down the halls to her chambers. They paused before the large doors and he leaned down to place a kiss on her lips. She smiled slightly as he pulled away, "I shall see you this evening, Elladan."

"And I you. Will you save me a dance?" he questioned.

"I should ask you the same thing," she said. "My ladies are quite smitten with you and Elrohir. They will be taking up much of your time this eve."

Elladan laughed, "Then I shall feed him to the wolves and steal you away from your duties as hostess."

"How selfless of you, to sacrifice your brother like that," Silaerín laughed. "I will tell Elrohir of your plans."

"Go right ahead, mell nín," Elladan replied and turned to walk away. "He needs to find someone now."

* * *

pen velui- lovely one

edhel- Sindarin for Elf.

Mell nin- my dear


	15. Mithlond: Dances

_A note to Dragonfly- yes that was a sort of break chapter away from her father and brother, and this chapter will not be so horrible as you may think. After all, Nenvír is two faced, so he must act happy and charitable with his people, while on the inside does not think that. In the next segment of chapters, where some rather huge things take place, there will be a good deal of evil Nenvír._

Chapter 14- Mithlond: Dances

Silaerín sighed heavily to herself, looking out upon the sea of party revelers in conversation and in the midst of dances. The ellyth were dressed in their finest gowns, the ellon in their finest brocade tunics. The few Elf-children in Mithlond ran about in between the dancers playing games of some sort. There was laughing and happy talking. Her father had been tame, and even somewhat friendly to the visiting family. Elladan and Elrohir were claimed by a gaggle of willing ellyth early in the evening, like she had known would happen, and Bainon had been sent forth to try to occupy her time. And, surprisingly enough, she found that Bainon was a decent ellon despite his influence from her father and brother to try to woo her. Any one who did not know the real story would have thought she and Bainon happily together, but only to those few astute people would they see the sad glances across the room between her and Elladan.

And her father was one of them.

"I see that Elladan is quite happy being thrown into that deluge of ellyth," said her father as he sat down beside her.

She turned to him and frowned, "Ada, I do not wish to speak right now."

He laughed, "You are angry that he is not dancing with you. I can sense that much, and all I can say is that I warned you."

Silaerín rolled her eyes and shook her head, looking toward Elladan who was laughing at something one of the ellyth had said, though it was easy to see that he was just doing it out of courtesy for the elleth rather than really finding it funny. She sighed, "I have spent my allotted time with Bainon this eve, Adar. Will you please allow me to do as I please for the rest of the evening?"

"You had no obligation to spend time with Bainon," he said, "but I am glad you found him agreeable. He is not even your _love_ and he has taken time to sit and talk with you."

"Adar, Elladan is a guest, and people find him exotic because he is peredhil. That is the only reason why he is so occupied. I am sure it is not because of some attraction to those other ellyth," she replied.

He sighed and looked at her for a long while, "Enjoy it while it lasts this day, because if it is my choice, you will never see him again in this manner."

Silaerín chose then to block his words, and concentrate on the party at hand. It was a joyous occasion, upon any other account. However, she could not get past the fact that it felt as though a piece of her was fading. Even though this was meant to be a welcoming celebration, it had turned into a dual farewell party. Not only were Elladan and his family leaving, but her grandfather was to travel back with them for a large council of all the chief Eldar. She was to stay in Mithlond and remain at the mercy of her father and brother for who knew how long. In the back of her mind, she wished she had asked Elladan to stay with her, but it made no difference. It was his duty to attend to matters in Imladris as she was to tend to household matters here in Mithlond.

"My lady, I cannot stand to see you glower any longer," said the voice from beside her.

Silaerín looked to her side, finding her grandfather looking at her, "I am sorry, Iauradar."

"It is not the end of the world, though it may feel like it," he smiled slightly. "I will be back before you know it, and you will see Elladan much more."

"Not if Adar has anything to say on the matter," she harrumphed and looked down at the table in front of her.

Círdan chuckled lowly, and placed his fingers beneath her chin, raising her eyes to his. "This night is for you, pen neth. You should be out there dancing, not worrying about your father. Even your father has put on a slightly charitable mood for this night."

"I have noticed that," she sighed and glanced around the room, finding the Elladan was still encircled with ellyth. "But the one person I truly wish to dance with is preoccupied."

"Do you worry that he will find someone else he enjoys more than you?" Círdan questioned.

"Aye, I do," she nodded.

Círdan smiled almost in disbelief, "I can tell you now, pen neth, that there will never be another ellyth he cares more for than you."

"Grandfather, I know your abilities, but how could you possibly tell that?" she questioned.

"I was a young ellon once, Silaerín. You often forget that," he winked. "I know what I was like when I fell in love with your grandmother, and that is exactly the way Elladan acts."

Silaerín glanced toward Elladan again, to find his eyes on her, watching her with a thoughtful expression on his face. She sighed again, "I suppose you are right, but that still does not mean I will not worry."

"I would be worried if you did not worry," he said. "But it is important to keep a check on your jealousy, because that could end up being the driving force to tear you two apart. That is what your father is trying to create with Bainon."

"But Bainon is a decent ellon," Silaerín replied.

"Aye, but a gullible one," he said and sighed. "But a decent ellon, nonetheless. Personally, though, I would rather see Elladan in rule of the Havens if your father, brother and I leave before you."

"You speak as though we will bind," she said.

His eyes glittered, and she knew by that slight change that he was hiding something from her. However, he simply smiled and took a sip of his wine, "A grandfather can always hope, can he not?"

Silaerín laughed, "So I take it you approve of him and this relationship?"

"If I am willing to give the single ray of light in my life away to him, I would say so," Círdan replied. "He comes from an honorable house. But the only thing that really matters in the long run of life is if you two are in love."

"I do not know that yet," she said.

Círdan smiled, "Do not worry about that. It will happen eventually, but now it would be best for you fully immerse yourself in this evening and the few hours you have left with Elladan."

She looked out at the crowd, and could not find Elladan anywhere, "Where is he?"

Looking back at her grandfather, he stood up and looked down at her, "Honor me with a dance and I will get you to a door so that you may go find him."

Silaerín took his proffered hand and stood from her own seat. She followed beside him as he led her out onto the dancing floor. The Elves cleared a path, and a ring in the circle to watch this. They had not had a celebration of any sorts in a long while, and it was even more rare to see their mighty leader take to the floor for a dance, so it was a special treat for all. With a deep curtsy to her grandfather, he acknowledging it with a slight bow of his head, the music started and they were whisked into the dance by the moderate flow of the music supplied by the very fine minstrels. When the dance was through, they again bowed to each other amidst the applause of the other Elves.

And sure enough, she noticed she was close to a door when the dance ended. Círdan left her side with another quick smile in her direction to tend to the Elves now trying to get their attention. On her way to the door, however, Celebrían and Elrond appeared. She smiled as generously as she could manage, though she was angry at being stopped.

Celebrain laughed, "We will not keep you long, Silaerín. We only wished to say our farewells this eve, in such case that you cannot on the morrow."

Silaerín found this slightly odd, but she smiled again, "I am sorry, I was only trying to make a quick escape."

Both Celebrían and Elrond shared a knowing glance at each other. Elrond smiled at her, and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. "It was a joy to see you again, Silaerín. You have matured quite nicely."

"As it was a joy to have both of you here. I cannot thank you enough for this visit and breaking up the doldrums of Mithlond," she said.

"Remember that there is always a place for you in Imladris, and in our lives if you so wish it," Celebrían then pulled Silaerín in a close embrace. She whispered into Silaerín's ear, "Go easy on him, he is very nervous."

Celebrían backed away from her then, and Silaerín did not know what she should think about Celebrían's advice. What did she mean by going easy on him? What had Elladan planned that they knew about? Unable to think of anything else to say, Silaerín only smiled and said, "Thank you."

The couple then disappeared into the crowd, and she was left with Arwen and Elrohir standing in front of her. Elrohir took her hand and kissed the back of it before hugging her closely, "You will always be a sister to us, even though it is not by birth or yet by marriage."

Arwen smiled, "Tis true, mellon. Though I have just met you, I have known you for all of my life through my brothers' stories, and I am happy to now call you friend."

"Thank you, both, but could you please tell me what is going on?" Silaerín questioned. "Everyone is acting so oddly."

Elrohir laughed, "You will find out soon enough."

"That calms my nerves by no amount," she said. "But may I please go now to try to figure this mystery out?"

"Please, by all means, go," Elrohir laughed and pulled his sister out of the way.

Silaerín shook her head and walked out into the quite corridor. If she was correct in assuming what the others were insinuating, she did not know how she was going to handle this evening. It was a large step for them to take so quickly, and she was not sure she wanted it. In the beginning, she had wanted to delight in the carnal desire she felt for Elladan, but she had come to realize over the course of the last few days maybe that was not what they needed to worry about. But then again, she would do anything to spend an evening with Elladan.

She took a deep breath that only seemed to calm her nerves slightly as she walked along the winding corridors. She was on the second level by the time she found him standing out on a balcony, his head turned toward the clear night sky. As she drew closer, the sound of the merriment and music from below found her ears, and she noticed that his eyes were closed and a half smile played on his face as he listened to it. The moonlight gleamed off of the mithril circlet around head, and his dark hair seemed to draw in the starlight, giving him an impossibly ethereal glow. Taking another deep breath, she stepped out onto the balcony and slid her arms about his waist.

"Would you please tell me what you are up to that your entire family seems to know about and I do not?" she questioned.

Her approach and the feel of her arms going around him did not startle him. Elladan opened his eyes and looked down at her, leaning over to place a soft kiss on her brow, "My entire family knows because Elrohir has a rather large mouth."

"He is not so bad," she said. "Now for what I have heard, the prospects of this evening are unsettling me."

"What have you heard?" he asked.

"Your mother told me to go easy on you because you are very nervous," Silaerín said. "And to me, that could only mean one thing. Besides the knowing glances your mother and father passed between each other."

"Now I am embarrassed," he replied. "I cannot believe that even my parents could not keep their mouths shut on a matter I wished to discuss with you before everyone else knew about it."

Silaerín smiled, "Your parents are more overjoyed than anything, Elladan."

"I know they are, but this is a serious matter," he said, now taking and wrapping his arms about her body. "What say you, pen velui? I know there are many, many reasons why we should not even entertain this idea, but I cannot help but wonder when the next time we shall meet will be. This may be selfish and un-Elflike of me, but I cannot wait forever for this experience to be had, and I would rather have it with you, the elleth I care deeply for, than some elleth or woman who suits the whim of my fancy on a night I am severely inebriated."

She could not help but laugh at his reasoning, and she met his eyes. "How noble of you, Elladan."

He shot her a sour look, "You think I am selfish."

"You are, but no more selfish than I," she said. "I agree that we do not know when we shall meet again, but I do not see it as something to do just because you are leaving. I would rather it be solely because of a strong emotional tie you have me. You know that if we were to do this, that would mean we would forever be bonded by the experience, even though we may choose another?"

"I do know that, Silaerín," he said. "And that is why I wish it with you and no other."

Silaerín smiled and reached up to caress his cheek, "You do not have to persuade me, Elladan. I consented to this when we agreed to be open with each other, but I must ask that we go slowly. I have never done anything..."

Elladan looked down at her and smiled warmly, "We will learn together, then. I know very few things, so I cannot promise how pleasurable it will be for both of us."

"As long as you make it pleasurable for me, then we should be fine," she joked and kissed his cheek quickly. Silaerín pulled away from him and took his hand, leading him into the corridor, "In which chambers shall we be doing this?"

He did not reply, and easily moved in such a way that he had lifted her up and set her over his shoulder, "We shall see."

"Elladan, put me down," she laughed loudly as he started walking in the direction of her chambers. "How dare you carry a Lady of Mithlond around like she is some game animal you taking to the slaughter."

"Oh, I am sorry, my lady, are you offended?" he questioned, readjusting her so that his shoulder was not poking so horribly into her abdomen.

"Not offended, but this is certainly doing nothing for making feel like giving into your requests," she said, but then encountered the lovely firmness that was his behind, now pleasantly placed in her eyesight by the way she was hoisted over his shoulder. The way the muscles flexed and relaxed beneath his leggings enthralled her to no end, and she had a rather desperate urge to reach out and touch it, but restrained herself.

They rounded a corner, and Elladan remarked, "You have become awfully quiet. Have you found something to interest you, my lady?"

"I am only devising ways to get back at you," she replied, though she knew it sounded false.

"Just be thankful I did not blindfold you," Elladan chuckled and opened a door. He shut it behind them, pushing the privacy latch into place. She could tell they were in her chambers as he continued back into her sleeping chambers. He dropped her to ground carefully and turned to shut the door and latch that lock into place before turning back to her. Elladan smiled and pulled her against him, "I am sorry, that was my Edain blood at work."

She laughed teasingly, "I am sure it was that, and not just you trying to be odd."

"I swear it was," he replied, but did not allow her to speak as he plundered her lips in a passionate kiss to end all kisses.

Silaerín pulled away, out of breath, kissing him back shortly, saying, "The slight of propriety is now forgiven."

Elladan laughed, "If kissing you did that much, do you realize what I could accomplish by doing other things?"

"Shut your mouth and kiss me, Elladan," she commanded, wrapping her arms about his neck and entwined her fingers in his hair as she pulled down his lips to hers. During this next deep and meaningful kiss, she managed to locate the circlet in his hair and remove it without getting it tangled. After she had accomplished that, she set to work on his braids.

Elladan pulled his lips away from her and met her eyes, "Are you sure you have never done this before? You are going about undressing me pretty easily."

Silaerín giggled self-consciously and continued to undo his braids. "Is it so bad that I have thought often of this the past few days, and planned my attack if it should happen?"

"I suppose it is not," he said, and reached up to remove Silaerín's circlet. "Because I have planned it as well."

She brushed her lips across his lightly, "Are you sure you wish to do this?"

"If was not sure, I would not have even come this far," he said and looked down at her. They were held in silence as they gazed back and forth as each other, and then he sighed, "It seems to me that you are not sure about it and that is why you keep asking."

"My nervousness is the only thing that makes me unsure," she replied. "And I do not know why I should be nervous, because it is you I am with. You would never hurt me."

"Not intentionally," he said with a laugh, trying to make light of the fact that she was nervous. Silaerín did not know whether to be angry with him, or laugh along with him. Elladan then smiled softly, "Silaerín, I am nervous as well. I believe it is only natural to be."

She nodded her head, letting out a little chuckle that seemed to calm her down just enough, "You must think me so indecisive to want to do this and not do it."

Elladan said nothing and only pulled her to him, squeezing her closely. Just this feeling of being held within his embrace was enough to make her mind up for her. She rested her head against his shoulder and they stayed like this for some time before he said quietly, "Speak now, Silaerín, and we will not go ahead with this."

Silaerín removed her head from his shoulder and met his eyes, letting a small smile cross her features, before rising on her toes to reach his lips. That simple kiss led to many more, each growing more and more heated. Soon every last bit of apprehension was gone, especially as he started to run his strong hands down the contour of her body, and his lips moved lower on her neck. Surprisingly, she felt completely uninhibited at that moment, and she too began the exploration of his body, however impeded sufficiently by his clothes.

She felt the bodice of her gown loosening about her, and she barely made the connection that Elladan was working adeptly at untying and loosening the satin strings that crisscrossed the back of the gown. Slowly, he moved his hands up her back and carefully pulled away the shoulders of her gown, but made sure to leave the thin shift beneath in place. And suddenly, his lips left hers and he peered down at her for a moment before quickly picking her up in an effortless swoop and carrying her over to the bed.

Silaerín was confused when he did not place her on the bed, but instead set her back down on her feet, the back of her legs only touching the bed. Elladan laughed at her confused face, but said nothing as he took her hands in his, placing them at the collar of his tunic. She felt herself blush, knowing exactly what he wished her to do. With another giggle, she kissed him again, this time working at undoing the fastenings down his tunic. Luckily, it was exceptionally easy, even with her slightly quivering hands, and soon she was touching the warm flesh beneath. Her slender fingers traced along his collarbones, to the taut smooth skin of his chest, around to his muscular, wide shoulders and back. She had seen many, many nude Elves, especially those out wading in the bay and fishing, but never before had she seen such a specimen of athletic Elven perfection mixed with such strapping qualities of Men. Elladan was truly great among Elves and Men.

She smiled to herself, her hands gliding across the ridges of his abdomen. Elladan placed his fingers beneath her chin, and raised her eyes to his, saying, "What do you find so amusing, my lady?"

The deep, raspy timbre of his voice caught her off guard, but she enjoyed that, "I am only thinking about how you are great among both Elves and Men."

"Aye, that is how I shall go down in the histories of this world... as great because of my physical features," he replied.

"You are great in other ways, my lord," she replied kissing him. "And you shall prove yourself great in other areas, I am sure."

Elladan laughed, kissing her deeply. She let her hands drop to the ties on his leggings, brushing the obviousness of his arousal accidentally, causing him to suck in a sharp breath. His hands stopped hers, and he moved them back up around his shoulders. He began to lay her back on the bed, the soft mattress kissing her back and her head hitting the pillows. With great care, he settled himself partially atop her.

She was just getting used to the feeling of his weight over her, when her ears picked up the soft sounds of a doorknob rattling. Silaerín, now alerted, placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back.

"What is it?" he questioned, worriedly.

Silaerín did not reply and was answered from the outside of her antechamber with a displeased call.

"Silaerín!"

* * *

Iauradar- grandfather

Pen neth- young one

Adar- father

Mellon- friend

Pen velui- lovely one

Edain- Men


	16. Mithlond: Pleasant Farewells

Chapter 15- Mithlond: Pleasant Farewells

"What are we going to do?" she asked, glancing at him.

Elladan wanted to come up with and answer, like he always did, but after being so deep into the throes of accomplishing what he wanted most, his mind was in a heavy fog and he was barely able to think straight. He took in a deep breath, seeing a robe of hers lying across a chair. He walked over and grabbed it quickly to place around her shoulders, "Go answer the door, and I will jump down to the balcony below. Meet me in my chambers."

Silaerín nodded her head silently, quickly tying the robe about her waist. She walked to the door, but was pulled back by Elladan. He smiled slightly and placed a lasting kiss on her lips before pushing her back toward the door. Her mind was befuddled enough for one evening, but to then have to deal with this new interruption was going to hard. With a deep breath, she opened the door to her antechamber and glided across the room to the other door to see who was waiting to make her life miserable. She pulled the heavy wood back to find Celin standing there, his hands upon his hips as though he were severely enraged that she would lock him out.

"Celin! You sounded just like Adar," she said, though very happy that it was her brother and not her father.

"Why are you worried that it would be Adar?" he asked, raising a curious brow and pushing past her into the room. She watched him look around the room, but he did not continue back into her sleeping chambers. At least he was slightly more respectful of her privacy than her father was. However she sighed and walked past him into the room to sit at her dressing table to carefully comb out her hair. Celin followed her in and looked around the room again before saying, "Adar wishes to know why you have left your guests so early into the evening."

"Grandfather said I could take my leave. I was weary," she replied, and looked down at herself. "And that is why I am preparing for bed."

Celin looked over her for a moment, and then let his eyes wander again. She turned to watch at him, following his eyes' path and froze in horror at the place his gaze had stopped. There, upon a lounge, was Elladan's circlet looking as though it had been tossed haphazardly aside in the midst of a rushed undressing. He walked over to the lounge, and picked up the circlet, examining it for a few moments before walking over to her and holding it out on one finger for her.

"Preparing for bed with a certain peredhel?" he questioned amusedly. "Ada would be most pleased to hear about this, but I must say that you have done a fantastic job of hiding him."

"That is because he is not here," she replied, taking the circlet from him.

Celin smiled wickedly, "You think I do not know what was going on? I saw the glances you two have been sending each other all night, and overheard a conversation between his brother and his beautiful sister."

Silaerín met his eyes and clenched her jaw, "Celin, I beg you... please do not tell Adar."

He regarded her for a moment, eyeing the door as though he were trying to decide what he should do; he was embroiled in a bitter battle of his conscience and she could not quite ascertain if the good or bad side was winning until he sighed in a defeatist manner. "I do not like this idea of my sister sneaking about to meet up with Elves, much less half-Elves."

"It is only Elladan whom I would ever sneak around with, Celin," she replied, still in complete surprise that he had given in so easily. Actually it was too easily, as a matter of fact. "You are not lying to me, are you? You will not go tell Adar even though you said you would not?"

"I promise to you, Silaerín, that I will not," he said.

She looked at his blue eyes, "Why are you so agreeable all of a sudden?"

"I was spying on you this afternoon. Well, I was following Arwen and Elrohir about, just so I could gaze upon the beauty that is that elleth, but when they stopped to spy on you, so did I. And I waited at the stables until you two came back," he said. "I wanted to rip him to pieces when I saw the way he was touching you at the practice field, but then I heard what you two were saying to each other. And then, to my great surprise, my little sister reaches back and completely cripples the mighty peredhel with a slight touch of his ear. I realized that you were capable of making decisions for yourself, as well as protecting yourself."

Silaerín laughed and blushed, "I am so embarrassed, Celin."

Her brother smiled warmly, the first time she could ever remember him smiling that way at her. "Later when you two came back from your ride, I realized for the first time that perhaps it was wrong to step in and try to break you two apart, even though Ada has tried to make me believe Elladan and his entire family are the spawns of Sauron himself. I was worried that all Elladan wanted was to use you and then dispose of you. And I was wrong. I will admit that now."

"What loving spirit has entered your body and possessed you? You are not the Celin I know," she questioned. This was too huge a change for her brother to have made in only a few hours.

"I know there are hundreds of years of pain I caused you, Silaerín, that I will have to atone for, but I am sorry. What you said about me made me realize that even though I have been cruel to you in the past, you could still see a good side of me," he replied.

Silaerín smiled and stood up, placing her hand on his shoulder, "As I said, I must think that, or I would never be able to go on living with you and Adar. I am just glad there is really a good side with good intentions somewhere in that cold stone heart you have."

Celin chuckled lightly, "It has been hidden all of my life, I will admit. But I realized most of what I practiced was what Adar taught me, and not what I truly believed."

"Does this mean you will be an ally now, rather than a foe that I must hide from?" she questioned.

"I would prefer ally, but it is something I do not expect of you after my years of transgressions," he said. "And especially alerting Adar about what I saw you and Elladan doing out in the storm."

Silaerín sighed, "It is good to have you on my side, muindor."

Celin smiled, "But please note that I will not hesitate to kill him should he hurt you and you do nothing about it. It is still my duty to be the overbearing brother when I wish."

"I would expect it," she said.

Celin chuckled and leaned over to place a kiss on her brow, "Now go to your beloved, I have kept you for too long."

Silaerín was not one to wait around when she was given an opportunity like this one, but she had a plan that she needed Celin out of her room for. She still was not sure if she should believe her brother or not, but it was nice to know that perhaps he was beginning to come around. And no matter how much Celin seemed to be her worst enemy, she had never known him to outright lie about anything and then go back on it. It just was not something he did... he was an Elf of his word.

When he was finally gone, and the door was closed, she slipped her robe off, following that with her shift. Replacing the robe about her body, she walked to her bathing chambers, and to the secret room she knew was there, but had somehow failed to remember every single time she had been faced with hiding Elladan. But then if she had tried to tell him, then that would have taken too long and caused more problems than it was worth.

Pulling the floor length tapestry back, she pushed along the wall, looking for the mechanism that would release the lock in the door. After a bit, it gave way and opened to her. Stepping in, she lit the candles in the smaller room, illuminating it in the soft glow. With a smile to herself, glad that everything was still where she had left it, since the last use of this room, she walked to the other side of the room and searched for the door to lead out to the secret corridor that snaked it's way around the many floors and room of the dwelling.

Silaerín walked quickly along the path, the single candle she carried with her flickering at her swift movements. Soon she came upon the door that led to the room that connected Elladan and Elrohir's rooms. She stepped out into the silent room, to find Elladan lying on a chaise, his eyes closed, and for a moment she thought him sleeping until he smiled.

"I knew there had to be a secret passage you were not informing me of," he said. "You would rather see me scale the wall of stone than give me a simple escape route."

She scoffed, and held the circlet over him, "Forget something?"

"Oh..." he mouthed but did not say aloud, taking the circlet from her.

"Come with me," she said, pulling him up from the chaise.

They walked for a long while before he spoke, "So who as at the door?"

"Celin," she said, glancing back at him, "but I do not want to talk about that now."

"Fine by me," he replied, coming closer to her, placing a soft kiss to her ear tip.

Silaerín giggled, but kept them on course to the door of her room. She opened the door and motioned him to enter, and she followed him in, closing the door tightly. She smiled, "I come in here when I wish to disappear from everything. I do not even think my father knows of this chamber's existence."

"Why did you not tell me of this before?" he questioned.

"Because I did not think of it," she said, watching him look over the books on a far table. Silaerín sighed and walked over to open the side window to let in the fresh air.

He wrapped his arms about her from behind, and placed a soft kiss upon her neck, trailing his lips up to her ear, "The moonlight becomes you, my lady."

Silaerín smiled, "You think so?"

"I do," he replied, his hands finding the ties of her robe and untying it. When his fingers first touched her bare flesh, she sucked in a deep breath and he chuckled lowly, whispering into her ear, "I do like how you think, my lady."

* * *

He propped himself up on a pillow and elbow, looking down at his bedmate. It could not have been possible what had just happened a few hours earlier. The sensations that drove them over the edge, the ease at which they discovered each other's bodies, and the emotions they shared that made this an episode of making love, not gratuitous coupling, all did not seem possible to him. He feared that if he closed his eyes again, the paradise they had built only in a handful of days would crumble away and he would once again wake up alone and only come to find that it was just one very realistic dream.

It was so simple, yet so complicated- simple to love this beautiful elleth, but almost too complicated for any mind, he was sure even beyond that of the Valar's minds, to grasp and understand it all. For the first time he understood the verses of songs and lines of poems that said life was nothing without a true love. He understood why Beren would die for Lúthien, if just to have and hold her for a short while. He would journey across all the plains of Arda and walk across millions of miles of hot coals just so he could be with her.

Elladan sighed and placed a hand on her hip, now only covered by a thin sheet of homespun. He had not realized just how fragile and small she was compared to him until he was there atop her and held her within his arms. Pushing a piece of pale corn silk hair from her face, he admired her peaceful, innocent features. Her high and well-defined cheekbones, reddened still from their exertions only a short while ago. The black eyelashes that seemed to be so long and lush. Her skin a pale and glowing ivory, so perfect and unblemished. The small and poignant nose, daintily placed in the center of her face. The smooth jaw lines that sloped downward to meet her sculpted chin. Her pale pink lips, so full and firm, that he was again longing to kiss, but did not want to risk waking her from the blissful slumber. The long swan-like neck that sloped to smooth shoulders and wonderfully rounded breasts that fit perfectly in his hands and the sway of her hips, perfect for bearing children or resting easily atop him...

There was no denying it now. He was completely... absolutely... in love with her.

And now to have to leave her here, would be one of the hardest things he would ever have to endure. Carefully, he removed himself from the small bed that was really a lounge of some type, and walked over to dress himself to head back to his chambers. Already he was sure that his father was angry that he had stayed so long with Silaerín and had not been prepared to set out on the journey back at day break.

He secured the last fastening on his tunic and sighed to himself as he gazed back at the sleeping elleth. With a small smile to himself, he went back to the bed and leaned over her, resting his arms on either side of her to place a soft kiss to her cheek. She began to stir beneath him almost immediately, her eyelids opening to reveal clear blue, rivaling that of the Sea, and she let a warm smile cross her features. She said lazily, "Chen ad?"

He could not help but laugh at her, "I can sense I have worn out my welcome."

Silaerín giggled and turned over so that she was lying upon her back rather than her side. She sat up slightly and placed her lips to his, "I shall miss you more than you know, melethron."

"Oh, pen velui, I have a very good idea, for I will have to suffer the separation as well," he said quietly.

"But you may have chances for other diversions," she replied.

Elladan paused and looked deep into her eyes, for the first time really sensing the ability of a connection with her that allowed him to sense what she was thinking. He had felt it the previous evening, but there had been so many other things going on, he had not had time to recognize what was happening between him and Silaerín. But now he knew what she was thinking, and it was unsettling to know that she would think such a thing of him, "Silaerín, there may be others who throw themselves at me, but there will only be one elleth or woman who could possibly make me weak."

Silaerín reached her hands up to touch and caress his cheeks, "I know you are honorable, and would never intend to do anything with another, but it may happen."

"It will not. It can not," he said quietly, meeting her eyes again. He felt the connection again, relaying to her what he could not verbalize and she beamed with a bright smile. Elladan smiled and kissed her again, "There shall never be another that could ever fill the hole leaving you behind will create."

She sighed, "Then let us hope, beyond all hopes, that we shall meet again sooner rather than later so neither of us grows desperate for the company of the other."

Elladan chuckled, "I will hope that, but now I must go."

Silaerín nodded and kissed him deeply, "Elladan, I love you."

"And I, you," he said.

"Do not go looking for trouble, it will find you," she said.

He felt the worry she had for him going off, and having to face the foes of he world as a warrior. "Anyone or thing that dares challenge me will quickly find themselves slain. You need not worry."

Elladan removed himself form the bed and straightened his clothing. She sighed, "It is not good to be so full of yourself, melethron."

"I know it is not, but I am only doing it to aggravate you," he replied, and quickly leaned over to kiss her again.

"Well, stop aggravating me, and tell me that I need not to worry too much because you will take care of yourself and Elrohir," she laughed.

"You have my word, meleth," he said, kissing her shortly.

Silaerín kissed him back and pushed him away. "Your adar is probably waiting for you."

"I know, but he will understand why I have taken so long," he smiled and walked to the door. "Farewell, my lady."

She did not reply as he left the room and shut the door behind him, but he did not need a reply from her. He knew exactly that he was cared for and loved. But as he started walking, he felt a slight sensation of tingling on his lips and he paused. It felt like a kiss. And then he heard her, just faintly conveying a thought to him, "I love you."

* * *

Adar- father

Ada-Dad

Muindor- brother

Chen ad- You again?

Melethron- male lover.

Pen velui- beautiful one

Meleth- love


	17. Interlude: Of Archery and Impending Jour...

_A short interlude to transition to the new stuff._

Chapter 16- Interlude: Of Archery and Impending Journeys

------------------------------------

1 Echuir 1981 of the Third Age

881 years later

------------------------------------

**Mithlond...**

The loud thwack of an arrow imbedding deep into a target resounded throughout the practice field, the shaft vibrating wildly as it absorbed the impact of the soft target. She smiled to herself and placed her bow at her feet and leaned against it, eyeing the arrow. It was better, but still not as good as she should be doing for being an Elf with spectacular aim and eyesight. And at least she could now stand on the practice field and practice archery freely without having to worry for her father to come and take her bow and quiver away.

And there were two reasons she could now attribute that to, and was supremely thankful for.

For one instance, her father had taken to spending more and more time in the Falas, away from the day-to-day happenings of Mithlond and Arda. It provided him the opportunities to become more and more disillusioned with what was actually going on in the main land, but as he spent his time in the Falas and running things there, it did not matter very much. There had been rumors that he could have perhaps found a dalliance there with one of the Isle folk, but Silaerín never felt the need to go digging into her father's personal life.

It just did not seem to be worth it, besides the fact that since Elladan's departure and her father's realization of what exactly had happened the night before the departure, he had not spoken one word to her- not even in scorn. That had worried her for a while, that she had admitted to him what happened, and then he just looked at her blankly, shook his head and walked away from her. And even though he would not deign to speak to her, he still held a certain control over her so that she would not dare leave the Havens without his consent. It was an odd sort of relationship they shared now, neither smothering nor completely free of his disagreeableness, but his ideas of locking her away in her room until she decided to leave Arda, or married Bainon, had diminished all together.

Perhaps it was because he felt defeated now that Celin had seen past their father's double standard for them and had taken her side. When Celin first stood up to their father, it was shortly after her grandfather returned to the Havens. Her father had engaged her grandfather in a discussion about what would happen now that she had given herself to Elladan. Her grandfather had only shrugged his shoulders and told her father that he trusted her to make the choices she was now faced with. That had sparked the largest argument, and her father went off on a tangent on how Elves were not supposed to be so loose, and that it was no good to have his daughter interested in a peredhel... it could only lead to bad things. Celin, then, unexpectedly, stood in front of their father, nose to nose, telling him exactly what he thought about his father's ideas on Elrond's family. Silaerín realized then that her brother had spoken the truth that night he interrupted her and Elladan, and she was surprised. And if she was surprised at Celin's turnaround, their grandfather had been flabbergasted by it.

After that incident, it would seem to her that her father's power complex had been taken down a few notches, and reality had set in. Perhaps he realized that he was being too unreasonable, and that he should loosen his standards for her, and tighten them for Celin. But that still did nothing to lift his ban on her traveling to other places rather than to the Falas with him. If the realization had done anything, it was alienate her father even more from his family in Mithlond. Silaerín believed that to be the driving force behind his slight change... he did not wish to be completely alone.

Celin's new appreciation of her had been the second thing to allow her the freedom she so desperately wanted, not only from being her ally, but also including her in other things like archery practice. Besides that, he had even shown her how to use a sword, which she had picked up much more quickly than she did the use of the bow and arrow. With spending more time with her brother, she was allowed to be rid of her ladies more and more. All together, her life had turned quite lovely over the past years with all of the changes, even if she was still separated from Elladan and he had not come back since his departure.

However, his notes were frequent, and that was enough for her. That was enough just to know that he thought of her, and to know how life was in Imladris and out in the wilds. She understood his lifestyle, and she appreciated the fact that he was a captain and lord, first and foremost, with other things to worry about than only her, even if it meant being apart for almost nine hundred years. It was his life and she was happy just to be a part of it.

"You are getting better, Silaerín," said her brother. Their lessons had become more frequent as of late, as though he were preparing her for something, but she had pushed it from her mind, just glad to be finally honing her skills. "You are close enough to the eye of the target more consistently, and I think that you could sufficiently use your bow in a battle."

Silaerín laughed, "I will never find myself in battle, Celin. You know that Adar would never allow it."

Celin chuckled, "Conceivably, my sister, you may need it if you travel to such places at Imladris or... Lórien."

"When will I ever visit Lórien?" she questioned with a sarcastic scoff.

"In a weeks time," Celin replied with a smile. "I have just learned today from Grandfather that Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel are now taking up the rule of Lórien. And for that, they are to host a large celebration."

Silaerín paused, "They are going to have a celebration in wake of Amroth's disappearance?"

"Aye," Celin said. "It is to be a Spring festival for the new _loa_."

"Adar?"

"He knows about it, but he has decided not to go," Celin said.

"And he allowed me to go?" she asked, suspicious of this journey.

Celin nodded his head, "Well, Grandfather will be going, of course, but Adar said I must accompany you, as must Bainon and Galdor."

Silaerín could not believe her ears, "You are not jesting with me, are you?"

"Nay, Silaerín," he said with a small laugh. "We are to go to Lórien for at least a month's time, as there will also be councils."

"And I shall see Elladan again," she sighed happily, walking over to Celin and embracing him. She kissed his cheek and ran off towards the dwelling, to go find her grandfather. The excitement now was just too great, and to wait one week to even start the journey was going to be as horrible as these past two millennia that she had been sequestered to Mithlond. But she supposed she could live with it, as long as she was allowed to travel with her father's approval, not having to worry about any mishaps or misinformation with him.

The only problem was, she did not know if she was more excited to be allowed to travel to a new realm, or the fact that she would be seeing Elladan again.

* * *

1 Echuir- corresponds in Rivendell Reckoning to February 1st in modern time.

Loa- also known as coranar, or "sun-round". The period of one year for Elves.

Adar- father


	18. Lothlórien: A New Realm Of Possibilities

_A/N: Yes, I know… 800 years is a long time… but once again, they are Elves, and the times apart from each other will prove an important plot point as the story continues. Also, it may seem like everything is closing up and they will live happily ever after, but this story has a long way to go, and will be far from happily ever after for a long while. Also, I had to add a little Legolas in here (next chapter)… just my homage to the Elf who initially made me crazy over Lord of the Rings._

Chapter 17- Lothlórien: A New Realm (Of Possibilities)

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1 Mettarë 1981 of the Third Age

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As she sat upon her mare, watching the scenery slowly pass her by- too slowly for her tastes, but for the first time in her life, she felt as free as a bird flying and swooping about the azure sky. For the first time in her life, she did not have to worry about her father showing up announced, or having to worry about what he might do knowing that her grandfather had sent his granddaughter to a foreign land without her father's approval. She did not have to prepare herself for the inevitable meeting and argument of her father riding in and demanding her to go back to Mithlond. For the first time, she would be allowed to do what she pleased when she wanted (within reason, of course), not having to worry about what the gossip about Mithlond might be, or the consequences of actually being allowed into her grandfather's council, only to be reprimanded by her father.

Aye, she was free… and she could not wait to see Elladan.

She was so excited about this excursion that she had barely even noticed the pain in her rear end for traveling so long on the back of a horse. But that was brought into painful realization when the horse beneath her lost her footing a rock and faltered slightly. It was a jarring motion, causing her bruised tailbone to strike roughly against the horse's back. She cringed slightly, but readjusted herself and hoped that did not happen anymore in her trip. After all, they were just entering the thick lining of huge trees that was Lothlórien.

She heard a laugh beside her and glanced up to find her brother riding beside her, "Perhaps you should walk the rest of the way in, Silaerín."

"I am fine," she replied.

She noticed Galdor turn to glance at her with a knowing smile, and he said, "My lady, you should listen to those who have traveled on horse many times before."

Silaerín rolled her eyes and blushed slightly, "I am fine."

Her grandfather, who had been particularly quiet this entire journey, besides his normally quiet and reflective nature, looked between her and Galdor for a moment. He said, "She gets her pride from her father."

"Or from you, Iauradar," she said with a smile and glanced ahead of them again, the trees slowly becoming thicker as they neared the apex of the realm. Despite the thickness of the canopy of trees, however, there were golden rays of sunlight still passing easily though the leaves. But there was something odd about these trees, she noticed. As the sunlight shone through the branches and bounced from leaf to leaf, they gave off a warm, golden glow. And it was only then that she realized these trees really had golden leaves and silver-colored bark.

Her viewing of the strange trees, that she had only heard about in tales, was interrupted when she became aware of a slight movement on the long, thick branches. Before she could distinguish that they were only very well disguised wardens, three Elves dropped from the trees easily and surrounded them. Two handsome, dark-haired peredhil and one silver-blond Silvan edhel to be exact. The blond looked to be one in charge, that certain feeling of power and arrogance radiating from him. There her eyes only stayed on him for a moment, and met the piercing grey ones of her love and his brother. It would seem that they were unprepared for her visit, however much the excited smiles on their faces betrayed their eyes. And she could not blame them for that, it was a shock she was even here without her father.

The blond Elf smiled and bowed to her party, as did the others, but the blond one probably bowed more specifically to Círdan, and righted himself, "Welcome to Lórien, Lord Círdan. We have been sent by the Lady Galadriel to show you toward Caras Galadhon."

Círdan nodded his head, and sighed, "She acts as though I have never been here before."

Silaerín laughed at the remark he made under his breath. Sometimes it was those short one-line comments that provided her with the best laugh. That was what she enjoyed about her grandfather the most. While being very old, very wise, and very powerful, he never quite lost his biting sense of humor. He glanced back at her, and smiled, "Perhaps you would like to walk along now, instead of _injuring_ yourself more so?"

She needed no prodding now to walk along beside her horse, and easily let herself off of her mount's wide back. And Elladan was there to catch her as she landed on her feet. It was almost odd to feel his hands on her again, though they be there in a platonic way, but perhaps it was only because every time they touched it was full of peculiar sensations that she had not yet gotten used to. How could she anyway? She had spent two evenings with him as something more than a friend, and that was hardly long enough to warm herself to the fact that these sensations with an ellon were normal.

Throwing her arms about his neck, he pulled her to him and embraced her closely. It was easy to forget that they were surrounded by others who were watching the entire scene, once she was within his arms. The entire world could crumble around them and she would not care. It had been almost nine hundred years since she had last been held by him, and by anyone's account, that was a horridly long time to be without this simple feeling. She pulled back from him and smiled brightly, "Did you know that I was to travel with my grandfather?"

"I had not one inkling," he replied. "However, my grandmother insisted I come out with Haldir to escort the Falathrim party into the city."

Silaerín laughed and stood slightly on her toes to kiss him quickly. He smiled against her lips, and kissed her back gently, only to receive an annoyed, albeit slightly laughing, clearing of someone's throat. Then the voice spoke, "While it is a joy to see you two together again, we do wish to make it to Caras Galadhon by the next loa."

Elladan pulled away from her and glanced toward the High Elf sitting atop his large white horse. She already knew that it was her grandfather who had said that, but that did not lessen her embarrassment by any amount. "I am sorry, my lord."

Círdan laughed good naturedly, and turned back as the company started out once again. Elladan took the reins of her horse to guide it along as they walked. She chuckled to herself, "If I were you, I would be quivering in fear. You have just been scolded by the great and mighty Círdan."

"That is nothing," he replied. "You forget I have been scolded by the great and mighty Galadriel. That is something I never wish upon anyone."

She smiled, and glanced up at him, "I would never wish to experience that either."

Elrohir finally decided to make his way back to them, and as they walked, came beside her and easy scooped her up into his arm for a long hug. "I thank Elbereth that you have come! Listening to him complain about not having you with him grew old the instant we passed out of the Havens. And then his moping… it was as though he had nothing better to do. I almost committed a Kinslaying of my own."

Silaerín giggled, "I have missed you as well, Elrohir."

He chuckled, "I have missed you for other reasons as well, but at least he will be quiet for a short while."

"It has truly been that horrible to listen to your brother?" she questioned, glancing at Elladan. It was clear that Elladan was not the least bit pleased that his brother was telling her about all of this. "You should have made him come to Mithlond then. Eight hundred and eighty-two years is a long time to listen to that."

Elladan scoffed at that, but said nothing. Elrohir nodded his head, "I should have, but when would he listen to his twin?"

"I would hope he would if it had to do with his love," she said and glanced at Elladan again. His face was impassive.

The company walked along for a while more in silence, making their way toward the city rather quickly… for what she had suspected would take awhile anyway. She had not been prepared for the true beauty that was Lothlórien. It was as though she was once again a young Elfling, for her first time, gazing upon the waterfalls and dales of Imladris, but this time for the unbelievable characteristics of the hugely round and tall trees. So tall and sturdy were they that it seemed there were dwellings built within the branches, with many staircases curling around the trunks, small bridges placed about to connect the trees together. From her spot at the bottom of the city, and looking up, it appeared an intricate maze of paths that could potentially result in her getting very lost.

It was certain that each Elven realm was a treasure in their own reasons. Mithlond was special for the beautiful white sand and crystal Sea, and Imladris for its effervescent colors, raging waterfalls and the feeling of renewal one received being there. She could add Lothlórien to her list as a treasure for its odd trees and wonderfully puzzle-like construction. Now she just had to visit Eryn Galen to complete her visions of all Elven realms still in Arda.

"It is a beautiful realm, is it not?" she heard Elladan say from beside her.

Silaerín smiled, looking at him, "Every Elven realm is beautiful for their certain qualities."

"Aye, I would have to agree with that," he replied, and leaned into her. "Except the thing I found beautiful about Mithlond was not the white beaches or warm climate."

"Oh really?" she asked, giggling at him.

An Elf came to them then and bowed his head slightly, "My lord, may I take the horse from you?"

"Please," Elladan replied and handed off the leather straps to the Elf. The ellon said nothing more and walked away with the horse, as did a few other stable hands with the rest of the party's mounts. He offered his arm to her, and she took it gladly as they were ushered toward a set of winding staircases by the blond Elf who had led them here. As they climbed the stairs, he said, "The Elves here are very conscious of propriety. I find it odd almost, but that is only because of living in a realm where we rely less on propriety, and more on friendship."

"Perhaps they only act as such because you are their new rulers' grandchild?" she said thoughtfully.

He shrugged his shoulders, "I think it is a combination of that, and also because they are not sure how to act now that my grandfather and grandmother are Lord and Lady of Lothlórien. They are used to living under a king's rule."

Silaerín nodded her head, "True."

They walked again in silence, and came upon an open landing at the foot of the large dwelling she imagined to be the palace that was once Amroth's. There stood, in all their omnipotence and beauty were Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, dressed in their normal whites and gold. As Celeborn was wearing not circlet upon his brow, the Lady wore an intricately woven one of gold and mithril. They first greeted Círdan in a slightly solemn manner, as they did her brother and Galdor. As Elladan had purposely made sure to stay behind the others, she was last to be greeted by them. And not surprisingly to her, she felt the same unbelievable nervousness she had when she first met the High Elves so long ago.

She glanced at Elladan who only winked and chuckled slightly, as he obviously felt her tense as they walked closer. Silaerín scoured quickly before turning to the Lord and Lady, and curtsying politely to them. She quickly felt fingers beneath her chin to turn her head up to them. And as that time so long ago, it was Galadriel who stood in front of her with the same knowing, but warm, smile.

Galadriel placed a hand to Silaerín's cheek, looking deeply into her eyes. The Lady spoke softly, "You have matured, and yet you are still the same as I recall in Imladris. You have that same pure heart as the Elfling, and yet you are wise to the world."

Silaerín knew not how to reply to that comment, but she did not have to as Celeborn stepped beside his wife. He gazed down at her, as though he were inspecting her, "My grandsons were not jesting when they spoke of you upon their return to Imladris."

She hoped that the blush was not too apparent on her cheeks, even though it felt like her face was on fire, and also that the others around them would not hear so much of that. And then she felt the slight nudge in her mind and heard Galadriel's soft words in her head, "Be not embarrassed, pen neth. He is only most pleased that at least one of his grandsons was found a truly wonderful, pure blooded Telerin elleth. He is very proud of his familial heritage."

That made Silaerín laugh, never expecting to hear those words from Galadriel… the grave elleth she usually was. Celeborn glanced at Galadriel, as though he knew that she had communicated something to Silaerín, and shook his head. Galadriel smiled, and said aloud, "You all must be weary of your travels. It is a long voyage to take on horseback from the Havens. Our maids and butler will show you to your respective talans."

With that, Galadriel and Celeborn bowed their heads slightly to dismiss them. A few handmaidens emerged from the side and took each of the newly arrived Elves toward the staircases, though no one came to her. She glanced at Elladan and smiled, "I suppose you are showing me to my talan?"

"Aye," he replied with wolfish grin and offered his arm to her again. He showed her along the paths, up to a high talan, near enough to the palace that the glowing light from the inside shone onto the shady portion on the outside of the talan. She stepped inside the talan, and looked around the front room, sparsely, but elegantly, decorated in ornate chaise lounges and a high-back chair. The early afternoon sunlight came through the windows and the opening to the right of the room where the gauzy white curtains billowed from the wind.

"I would show you back to the bed chamber," Elladan finally said, coming up behind her and placing his hands on her hips. He placed his lips to her neck, "However, I fear that if I were to do that, I would not make it out."

Silaerín chuckled and turned around to face him, kissing him, "That is a wise choice. You probably would not."

He smiled, "I have missed you."

"It does not even compare to how much I have missed you," she said, looking into his eyes. "Why did you not come back to visit me in all those years?"

"My excuses are not worth me saying and wasting your time, meleth," he replied, placing a kiss to her forehead. "All I can say is that we have been very busy with the increased threat from Moria and Dol Guldur. We have been riding with the Dúnedain, as you know."

"I know," she said and sighed, glancing down at his chest. "But all that time?"

Elladan sighed heavily, raising her chin so that he could look into her eyes, "I knew I should not have stayed away for so long… I thought it was weakness to want to not be without you all the time, but then I look ahead and I realize that we will continue to spend great amounts of time apart, especially with the shadow ever-growing when I will be out fighting even more. I thought it would help me to stay away from you for these longexpanses of time, so I did not have such adifficult time leaving when again we should meet."

Silaerín reached up the cup his cheek, "I love you, Elladan. I am not angry, I have only felt alone without you. I suppose that would be expected, if you were gone for even a year."

He nodded his head and kissed her again, "But while you are here, I fully intend to make up all the time lost."

"I do like the sound of that," she said.

"We will not be expecting your father?" he questioned.

"Nay, he will not come, as he stayed to see to the business of the Havens, but he knows that I am here," she answered. "I did not sneak away this time."

"Good," he said. They spent a few more moments life this, until he pulled away from her. "Elrohir and I agreed to a little contest of skills with Haldir and his brothers this afternoon, though it has grown to include others. I should be going or they will disqualify me."

"Haldir?" she asked.

He chuckled, "I am horrible at remembering to introduce people. Haldir is the March Warden, and the one who came to show your grandfather to the city."

"Oh," she said. "I had thought him important, but I had no idea who he was."

"My grandparents speak highly of him, and from what I have seen, I would agree with them," Elladan said.

Silaerín pushed away from him and glanced toward the door, "You should go if you are expected. Perhaps once I find Arwen, I shall be down with her."

"She has already committed herself as score keeper," he laughed.

"That is a little bias toward her brothers, do you not think?" she asked.

"Aye, but that is only if she has forgiven us," Elladan replied.

Silaerín eyes him suspiciously, "What did you do?"

"I shall leave that for her to tell you, but I will admit it involves an ellon," he said and walked toward the door. He paused and glanced back at her, "The rest of the household may turn out as well."

"I will be down shortly," she smiled, and waved her hand as he stepped out of the talan and shut the door. Silaerín let out a small sigh, and glanced around the room again. This would be a wonderful experience.

* * *

1 Mettarë- Day before the Elven new year, or like our New Year's Eve. Last day of the year were generally not that big of a deal for Elves, but in this story, and in this year, I am making it a new yén (144 yrs in which Elves counted by, because they liked counting by twelve's) as well.

Iauradar- grandfather

Edhel- elf

Loa- sun round

Pen neth- young one

Meleth- love

Eryn Galen- Greenwood. Thranduil's realm, though referred to as Mirkwood later on in the Third Age because of shadow in Dol Guldur.


	19. Lothlórien: Elven Kings and Competition ...

_Thank you reviewers. Please remember to review... I thrive off of it. Also, if you did not catch the upadte right before the upgrades on this site, please make sure you read the previous chapter._

Chapter 18- Lothlórien: Elven Kings and Competition Rings

She was not sure just how long she had been roaming around the city of Caras Galadhon, looking for the place they would hold this competition, but she was sidetracked by a rather ornate fountain in which she had to stop and look at. Though, while she was looking around for the best route to take to continue her journey, her eyes fell upon a tall ellon of physically strong stature, clothed in muted tones of green and brown, and wearing a simple circlet upon his golden head. He smiled pleasantly, and called out to her, "My lady, you appear to be lost."

"Was it that simple to tell, my lord?" she called back with a slight blush. He was a strange Elf, but he seemed to be powerful with the way he carried himself and commanded respect, not to mention that he was fair of face beyond even an Elven measure, despite his obvious wisdom, and years of pain and loss evident in his brown eyes.

"I must confess," he replied. "I have seen you pass over my head on a bridge a few times."

Silaerín found herself blushing more deeply as the Elf made his way to her. He was even more imposing when he stood before her, but he still seemed to have the lanky Elven build. He smiled and bowed his head slightly, "I am Thranduil, King of Eryn Galen."

"Please forgive me, my lord, I did not know it was you," she found herself saying quickly and curtsying deeply to the broad-shouldered king. His customary attire, and the reason he wore a circlet upon his head made perfect sense now that she thought about it. She had heard many stories of his father Oropher, and some of Thranduil, especially in particulars to the difficulty that Elrond, Celeborn and Galadriel had in making any type of agreements to come to each others' aides if need be. Elladan had informed her quite thoroughly on those matters over the years. But all she had ever heard was how impossibly overbearing he was, and how his son, Legolas, was quickly becoming him, even though he still had a few redeeming qualities.

The Elf lord chuckled as she rose, "And what is your name, my lady? You are obviously well dressed for the simple Silvan folk here in Lórien."

"I am Silaerín, granddaughter to Círdan of the Havens," she replied.

He took her hand and kissed the back of it politely, "At last I meet the beauty which has attracted so much attention since her arrival to Lothlórien this day."

"Thank you, my lord, but I doubt very much that I have attracted much attention," she said. "While I do not mind, I am overshadowed by the presence of my grandfather, and even the beauty of Lady Arwen."

"You are the Lady of Mithlond, and that receives much attention," the Elven king spoke. "But your beauty only adds to their chatter, when they speak of the mysterious lady."

Silaerín giggled, "Thank you for your flattery, my lord. In all that I have heard, I never imagined you, or any Elf king for that matter, to be like this."

He smiled, "It depends upon who you ask about me. And I believe you have spent time under the teachings of Elrond, Celeborn and Galadriel. That would hold some sway in how you visualize me."

"I suppose that is true," she replied.

Thranduil held out his arm for her, "May I escort you to the competition ring? I believe that is probably what you are looking for."

"Aye, my lord, and please," she said and took his arm. They walked in silence for a few moments, and she could hear the sounds of the excited talking of Elves grow louder as they made their way toward the ring.

After awhile he glanced down at her, "I must also confess, that I do not wish to scare away any high-born, Telerin elleth that could be a suitable mate for my son. And I believe my son will be quite impressed when he is introduced to you."

Silaerín felt herself blush again, and almost spoke to him of Elladan so that he may not continue on this path and maybe taking her actions the wrong way, but she did not wish to anger the King after only just meeting him. And truthfully, she was excited to meet Thranduil's son, despite her love for Elladan, just to see if the stories she had heard from Elladan were true. "I would be most pleased to meet your son as well, my lord."

He gave her a pleased smile and they continued toward the competition. It appeared to her, as they stepped into the field of spectators, that the small contest of skills between friends had swelled into an all-out competition for the willing Elves in Lórien, and they were still in the process of organizing the games and how they would be scored. Most of the city folk had turned out and found seats or were standing in the wooden stands to the left of the field, and all the way across the field was a special set of benches and cushioned seats for the High Elves who were in the city. Sitting there were Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrían, Arwen, Erestor, her grandfather, Galdor and a strange elleth she imagined to be Thranduil's wife by the crown and colors she wore. Standing closely to the sitting High Elves were the large group of ellon who looked to be preparing for the contest, with Glorfindel directing them.

"I thought that this was to be a small contest of skills," Silaerín said.

Thranduil chuckled, "It often starts that way, just like wars start with small skirmishes."

She nodded her head and followed along out into the clearing and along the stands of Elves to get to their place across the field. Thranduil had not been mistaken when he told her that she was a mysterious entity to these Elves, and that she was the topic of much conversation, especially now that she was walking along on the arm of the Greenwood king. And the ellon who had at first been deep into outlining the games to be had, now glanced up to see what had caused the new energy to arise in the crowd. She caught the twins' eyes and smiled at them, seeing a gold-haired ellon beside them that looked remarkably alike Thranduil, so she thought him to be Legolas, who smiled at her appreciatively. And a sight she had never imagined she would see in her life, was her brother talking civilly to Elladan and Elrohir.

When they reached the stands where the lords and ladies sat, Elrond met them, and without saying a word, Thranduil left her side with a shake of his head to go find his own seat, beside his wife. It was almost as though Elrond had given him a displeased glance, and sent him on his way, like he knew Thranduil's intentions were for her to meet Legolas. But Silaerín did not mind, for she loved and trusted the peredhel whom she had come to know as her father.

He smiled down at her, "Welcome to Lothlórien, my lady. I suppose your arrival was much nicer than your arrival to Imladris."

Silaerín laughed, "I have not decided which arrival is better, my lord. In Imladris I was surprised, but this is different."

"At least you did not have two ellon jumping out of wardrobes," he said.

"Nay, I did not, but if they were to accomplish that feat again, I would be tremendously impressed," she replied.

Elrond chuckled and tucked her arm in his to guide her up the few stairs to the platform. There was Celebrían to meet them, and then Erestor welcomed her with his trademark characteristic of being an ellon of few words. She was quickly introduced to the Queen of Eryn Galen, a sweet, but seemingly tough, elleth who went by the name of Authiel. And finally she made her way to Arwen, whom she embraced quickly and sat beside to talk.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, Silaerín," Arwen replied. "Not only am I glad you will take my brother's mind away from complaining about not having you, but also am I glad to have you to speak to on other issues."

Silaerín chuckled, "Well, I am quite happy to be of service in both ways."

"I am also glad I will not be the only elleth here that is left to the whims of the winners of this contest," Arwen said with a devious smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Whoever wins at each of the contests will be able to choose their prize, and since this is impromptu, it had been decided that we shall be the objects for which the lucky ellon get to choose their mode of receiving the prize… within reason of course," Arwen explained.

Silaerín glanced out at the group of ellon, and let out a long sigh, "Elladan had better win if he is so easily allowing me as compensation for a win."

Arwen laughed, "He will, trust me, Silaerín. He would let no other ellon have you."

And so the competition ensued, all of the competitors worthy warriors, each with their own areas of expertise. The victor of the simple archery contest of moving the target further and further away was the March Warden Haldir, though Celin was a close second. The winner of the archery contest involving rapid succession of shots with a bow at different targets around the competition ring was Legolas, while the competition of swords had come down to the twins who looked as though they were no where close to besting one or the other. She had seen this happen many times before, and she had no idea how this was going to end until Elrohir gracefully swooped down after his hard blow to his brother, and knelt on a knee with a sword, signaling that he wished to call a stalemate. Elladan stopped and sheathed his sword, bowing to his brother and offering his hand to pull him up from the ground.

Chatter started to travel throughout the Elves in the stands, obviously not used to two Elves stalemating in a competition, but she soon was unable to pay attention to that as the bedraggled company of warriors made their way to the platform of High Elves with Glorfindel to accept their winnings. Silaerín glanced at Arwen for a moment, and she giggled, "Hope that Legolas does not choose you, mellon. He has a habit of being much too free with himself, and he will surely display them with you, even if he knows of you and Elladan."

"Lovely," Silaerín replied, standing with the Elves on the platform. "How were we chosen for this again?"

"You and I are the highest standing, unwed ellyth here," Arwen said. "Have you never heard of the thing the Men call courtly love?"

Silaerín glanced at her, "If it is a Mannish tradition, then why do Elves practice it?"

"That is a good question," Arwen laughed at her, but turned her eyes to the line of Elven, and half-Elven, warriors. Silaerín met the blue eyes of Thranduil's son, who gazed upon her as though she were prey waiting to be captured and eaten, and she chuckled to herself. Elladan had not been jesting in his letters when he wrote of Legolas' antics. She moved down the line, meeting the March Warden's grey eyes. He was a noble Elf, even though he may not have been born into that lifestyle, she could sense that much from his wise eyes. And then her eyes fell upon the twins. Elrohir was sporting a thin scratch upon the right side of his neck, and Elladan a cut lip.

She smiled at him, but her attention was quickly moved to Celeborn speaking to the champions, "Well done to all who participated in this unplanned event, but as with all competitions, only the victors will be given a special prize for their wins. You have all heard the terms of agreement, so I now ask Legolas, Prince of Greenwood, to choose his prize."

Legolas smiled, "I ask for a meal with the Lady of Mithlond."

Silaerín knew he would choose something to that affect, and Celeborn glanced at her, and asked, "Do you agree, my lady?"

"Aye," she replied.

Next came Haldir, who responded to Celeborn's words of announcing, and smiled, "I request a dance from Lady Arwen at the festivities on the evening of the morrow."

Arwen agreed to that, a little too readily, and Silaerín gave her a sideways glance. Arwen blushed deeply and glanced at the ground. It was certain to Silaerín then that this could potentially be the reason Elladan and Elrohir were in trouble with their sister. And then the prize choosing came down to the twins, who conferred with each other briefly before announcing what they wished for. Elrohir spoke, "My lord, and grandfather, I would ask for nothing more than forgiveness from my sister."

Arwen rolled her eyes at that, but found herself laughing at Elrohir. Then the attention was on Elladan to make his choice. He glanced between her and Arwen, and then looked at his grandfather, "A dance with Lady Silaerín at the festival tomorrow."

Celeborn chuckled knowingly and shook his head before glancing at her, "Is that acceptable, my lady?"

"Aye," she said, but wanted to jest and say that it was not. However, she knew that what Elladan had truly wished to ask for would come out soon enough, and she would not mind it when it did. And with that, the Elves from the stands began to congregate on the field, to congratulate and speak with the winners and other participants. Before she could decide what to do, she was approached by Legolas. She stepped down off of the platform, and then he took her hand. When they were facing each other, he smiled, bowed and kissed her hand.

"My lady, it is a pleasure to meet you," he said, a larger smile now on his features.

"And you as well, my lord," she replied. "So which meal shall we be sharing?"

"Perhaps the noon meal tomorrow?" he asked.

Silaerín nodded her head in acceptance as Legolas' father and mother approached them. Thranduil smiled, though she could not decide if it was because he was proud of his son for winning the competition, or if he was proud that his son and she were speaking to each other. "My lady, I promise you that my son will not treat you badly."

She laughed, "I would hope not, but I can see already he would never be distasteful or rude in any way. You only must look at his father."

Thranduil nodded his head, eating up her courtesies for some reason. She had not imagined a wise Elf king to be so easy accepting of comments like these, but he was. The king smiled, "She was a good choice for your prize, ionnen."

* * *

Elladan stood in the group of Elves, trying to pay attention to the questions presented him, but he could not take his eyes from Silaerín who was now being polite to the Greenwood king and taking the assuredly smooth, yet exceptionally empty, comments from Legolas in stride. He smiled to himself. She was skilled at making even the most disagreeable Elf happy, and would be very useful in councils with Thranduil if she could maintain a clear mind and unclouded from his flatteries. It seemed to him all she had to do was smile, and ellon where falling into line behind her. But he could not blame those ellon. Her smile was a very powerful thing because it was an honest one. 

And one thing was certain, he had spent too much time away from Silaerín. Now that she was here, he was eager to make up for that lost time, but then again, he did not want be responsible for hurting her with the multiple exertions he had in mind for them.

"Perhaps you should stop drooling like a warg staring at its meal, and take her away from the charmers that are Thranduil and Legolas," said a voice from beside him.

He glanced up to find his father and Glorfindel standing beside him, but also gazing at Silaerín from afar. "She is fine. I trust she will see past their words."

Glorfindel laughed, and let out a long sigh, nudging Elladan with his elbow, "So when I said a beautiful elleth was coming to stay in Imladris, I was correct, was I not?"

Elladan recalled him saying that so long ago, and the incident of being caught in the wardrobe because he and Elrohir wanted to spy on this so-called beautiful maiden. "Aye, you did. And you were right, though Elrohir and I were disappointed upon initial inspection."

"It is like wine," said Glorfindel. "They only grow better with age, and experience, if you understand me."

"And I let you teach my children!" Elrond threw his hands up in mock disgust, but smiled. "It is no wonder they are like they are."

Elladan chuckled and looked at his father, "At least we are not curmudgeons like Erestor."

"True," his father replied and chuckled. They stood quietly for a little longer, watching Silaerín converse with the Greenwood delegation a little longer, before moving on to speak with her brother shortly.

"Ada?" Elladan asked quietly, watching as Silaerín turned her eyes to them and smiled much wider than before.

"Aye, Elladan?" Elrond questioned in a like manner, though it was in a sarcastic way.

He turned and glanced at his father, "May I speak to you privately?"

"Share the evening meal with your mother and me," Elrond said. "We will discuss it there."

Elladan nodded his head and sighed, wishing that his intentions and the conversation he wanted to have with his father were somehow slightly unknown to the rest of the world, but he supposed it was nice to know that his father was already prepared for this talk. Then Silaerín appeared to his side, and took away any of his previous thoughts as she stood before Glorfindel and the Balrog slayer, instead of accepting her bow, took her into his arms and embraced her quickly, placing a kiss to her cheek.

"Welcome Silaerín," Glorfindel smiled.

"Thank you, my lord," she replied. "I am very glad to be here."

"And may I say that you have been very missed around Imladris?" he asked.

Silaerín chuckled, "You may, and I have missed being in Imladris as well… more than you could possibly know."

Glorfindel smiled and nodded his head, and opened his mouth to say something else, but Elladan noticed his father give Glorfindel a warning glance. It was hard to discern what it meant, but Elladan was sure it had to do with the fact that his father had seen the pinched look on his face that he was not allowed to greet Silaerín and speak with her now that the competition was over. His father motioned with his head to the side, and Glorfindel understood this movement, saying, "I fear I am being given the signal to leave you two alone."

Silaerín smiled, "And I shall thank you for your prudence."

Glorfindel laughed put a friendly hand on Elrond's shoulder, "Come, mellon nín. I have some things I must speak with you on myself."

The two Elf lords walked away then, and left him alone with Silaerín… well as much as they could be alone out in the field with all of the Elves congregating… but he placed his a hand on her lower back and shifted her so that she stood before him and could look into her eyes. It was not until this point that he realized just how much he had missed her these long years, and he could not see himself much without her for any long expanses of time, though he knew that they would inevitably come. He just hoped it was not nine hundred years that separated them.

Silaerín smiled warmly and stood on her toes to reach his lips, but she did not kiss him. Instead, she touched his cut lip with her fingers, whispering a short phrase that he had had heard his father say many times before while tending to his minor wounds. He felt an intense heat around the cut, and then the slight sting that was his obvious reminder of the cut went away. She stepped back for a moment, looking over her work, and nodded her head in appreciation for her work before quickly standing on her toes again and brushing her lips to his.

His arms wrapped about her torso then, quite involuntarily he noted, to hold her tightly to him. He looked down at her, "Where did you learn to do that?"

"When I was in Imladris, you father showed me a few healing techniques in which I could employ in daily use," Silaerín replied. "I am only surprised I remembered it."

"You remembered it perfectly," he said.

"Good," she said and giggled. "Because I do not wish you lips to be hindered in any way from working."

"Ah, but you know not what you are asking for by restoring me to full strength," he laughed.

Silaerín rolled her eyes, smiling brightly, "Oh, my lord, I have a very good idea."

Elladan leaned over her then placed his lips to hers, kissing her deeply and thoroughly, forgetting that they were in the midst of a large throng of other, very curious Elves. And as he pulled away from her, he realized that perhaps kissing her like this was not the best idea where prying eyes could start rumors in the gossip circles about them. After all, nearly everyone around them had quieted and were watching them intently. He glanced down at her, "I should not have kissed you here for all eyes to see. They probably think me a winner who has taken too much for his prize."

She giggled, "I am not ashamed, Elladan, even if that is what they think. If you are, however, just say that it is Númenorean blood that you so like to blame your urges on."

He chuckled lowly, "It is much more than Númenorean blood now. I have realized it is only truly my urges as a male."

Silaerín smiled and nodded her head, "True, but there is something to be said for the fiery Edain blood in your veins."

"Oh really?" he asked, raising a curious eyebrow. "You will have to explain this to me later this evening."

"I plan on it," she replied.

"And I shall look forward to it," he smiled wickedly. They stayed like this for a little while longer, looking at each other until he sighed, "I am to have the evening meal with my parents this evening and then I have something else to do, but I will come for you late in the evening so that we may watch the sun rise on the new yén together."

She pouted just slightly, but quickly masked her disappointment, "Then I shall wait anxiously until then, meleth."

Elladan smiled to himself, a whole menagerie of things going through his head of what he would like to do to her, but he suppressed them, knowing that waiting until the wee hours of the morning would prove to both of them that because they would have been so anxious for so long, that all of their senses would be heightened incredibly, and it would be to both of their benefits.

* * *

ionnen- my son 

mellon- friend

meleth- love


	20. Lothlórien: One Ring To Rule Them All

_Reviews... please?_

Chapter 19- Lothlórien: One Ring To Rule Them All

Elladan stood on the balcony, enjoying the cool night air and sipping the wine he had brought out with him after the meal. The conversation between his parents and him was happy and light-hearted, though he had the very certain sense that they knew exactly what it was Elladan wished to speak with his father about. His mother had not said so much, but it was obviously that her heart was joyous because of the obvious intentions in this conversation. She had promptly shooed him out of the talan after the meal to await his father to join him for a private conversation, trying to hurry this conversation along as much as she could, probably so that she could go and speak to others about it.

His father stepped out onto the balcony and stood beside him for a long while, gazing up at the evening sky. Elladan glanced to the side, finding his father deep in a reverie of some kind, a half smile on his face. His father sighed lightly then and turned to gaze at him, "What is the nature of this conversation, ionnen?"

Elladan chuckled, "It is clear to me you already know what this is to be about."

"True," said his father, walking over to a nearby bench and sitting upon it. The Elf lord was quiet again for a few long moments, until he chuckled to himself.

"What is it Ada?" Elladan asked.

"I was only remembering a time when these conversations between you and I dealt with such innocent things," he replied. "It truly only seems like yesterday you were placed in my arms with your brother fussing up a storm, not a captain who has seen a fair share of the darkness in the world, grown to be a very capable lord and an ellon who has found, and understood the purest form of love."

Elladan sipped his wine, keeping it in his mouth for a few moments before swallowing. "I know not if I understand love yet, Ada, but I know that it is there."

"You have understood it even in the smallest degree, Elladan," Elrond replied. "To understand love is an impossible feat… only Iluvatar can really grasp the true meaning of love. It is that powerful a thing."

"I suppose that is correct," Elladan nodded his head, glancing back out to the trees, and then up at the ceiling of stars above them.

The stayed in each other's company for another long silence, until his father shifted and the sound of the rustling robes found Elladan's ears. He glanced toward his father who was now standing and making his way to him. For a moment, Elrond gazed at his son, and then sighed, "You have not made your choice yet?"

"Not yet, Ada. I have not been made to," he replied. "But if I plan to plight my troth to Silaerín, my choice will be clear to me when the time comes."

"I had no doubt you would," said his father. "I am surprised that you have not chosen yet. I know that you have thought of this for many years now, Elladan, and I had thought that perhaps you had already been given the moment to choose."

Elladan shook his head, "Nay, I have not."

Elrond nodded his head, "Perhaps it will wait until the Shadow is cleared from this world."

"When the time comes, I will know my answer," Elladan smiled.

"You do know that with the threats ever increasing, it may mean you being separated from her for more long expanses of time, and you may not wed until after the Shadow is finally taken care of? Or you could change your mind after all that you see." Elrond asked. "I do not mean to lay these troubles on you now, when we should be discussing this happy occasion, but it is a thought to keep in mind."

Elladan thought about this for a few moments, before glancing again at his father, and holding his gaze. "Ada, I love her and nothing will change that, even if things occur and we may not find our paths together like I am planning for now."

His father smiled softly, placing a hand on Elladan's shoulder and squeezing it slightly, "Then all I can say is a sincere good luck to my eldest as he embarks on this new adventure in his life. I have found much happiness with your mother, and I hope you find the same with Silaerín."

"I already have, Ada," he replied and felt himself blush slightly.

"She is a fine elleth, and I know not whether I should be happier with your choice to remain Elven or your choice to betroth yourself to Silaerín," his father said with a small laugh.

Elladan chuckled, "She has not yet agreed to this… I think she will be quite surprised, actually."

"Will you wait to travel to Mithlond to discuss this with Nenvír?" Elrond asked.

"If I were to ask for his daughter's hand, he would hire someone to slay me and throw into the Sea," he said and let out a long sigh. "I had planned on speaking to Lord Círdan about it, perhaps he can give me the permission I hope to have."

Elrond nodded, "I do not blame you, Elladan, but there will come that time you will have to face him."

"Aye, I know. But Lord Círdan holds sway in Nenvír's actions, even if they are small," he replied. "I had hoped to announce the betrothal at the festivities tomorrow evening."

"Then you will need betrothal rings," his father smiled and reached into his robes, extracting a small velvet pouch and holding it out for him. Elladan took it and opened the toggled end, dropping the round circle of silver into the palm of his hand. Elrond smiled, "You are lucky I prepare adequately for all possible outcomes of journeys."

"Whose is this, and where is the other?" Elladan asked, reading the Noldorin inscriptions on the inside of the small, dainty ring, perfect for the long slender finger of an elleth's feminine hand.

"The set belonged to your grandmother and grandfather when they were betrothed, and were passed to your mother and I," Elrond replied. "This was your grandmother's Ring of Power before Nenya, so do not take it's power lightly."

Elladan chuckled, "How was it a ring of power, Ada?"

"Because it gave your grandmother the ability to rule your grandfather's life," his father laughed and sighed. "The other still is in the hands of your mother, whom will give it to Silaerín when you have finally spoken with her about this. Go speak to your mother, she has barely been able to contain herself since I told her you would come for the meal tonight, then find Círdan."

"Thank you, Ada," he said.

His father smiled, and took him into a quick embrace, "You are very welcome… now, I command you to go."

* * *

They walked for a long while in silence about the darkened city with only the starlight and moonlight that shone down onto the pathways from the sky above to guide them. It had been one of the longest afternoons and evenings of her life, trying to pass the time after he had made her the promise to visit her after his meal with his parents. At a point early in the evening, she had almost deemed it cruel of him to do what he did by making her think like she was… with no way to expend the building lustful energy. She had been lucky, though, to be invited to a meal with Arwen to discuss some things, but even at that she could barely concentrate on what Arwen was talking about, and barely picked up on the fact that Arwen had mentioned Haldir more than once. She had even fallen asleep once she returned to her talan, because it was so late into the evening, and had given up hope on him coming to her. But he had, and had awoken her in the most pleasant of ways by leaning over her and placing his lips to hers. 

Reaching one of the highest flets within Caras Galadhon, in a very large mallorn tree, they each sat down beside each other. She rested against him as he encircled his arms about her and held her closely to him. Silaerín was sure she would never find anything more lovely to wrap about her than the warmth and security his body and arms provided. She sighed peacefully and closed her eyes, snuggling more closely to him, picking up the rhythmic beating of his heart and drown for a moment in his intoxicating scent of wood and leaves that was distinctly that of Imladris, though he had not been there in a long while.

"Do not fall asleep on me," he said quietly, brushing his lips over the top of her head.

"But it is quite a lovely thing to do… to fall asleep in your arms," she giggled lightly and turned her face up to his.

He glanced down at her, "I would agree it is the same to have you asleep and in my arms, but you know that I mean about not falling asleep. You will miss the sunrise."

"Aye, I know," she replied and placed a kiss to his neck where her lips were close to, instead of expending the energy to crane her neck up to reach his lips. But he seemed satisfied with as he let out a soft sigh, and she rested her head now in the crook of his neck. He readjusted his grip on her to pull her to him much more closely, if that was at all possible to do, and positioned her legs so that they lay across his lap. This allowed his hands to access her legs more easily, and he began to caress ever so lightly up and down the contours of her claves. She rested more of her weight against his solid chest, while his wonderfully dexterous fingers found her thighs and began to trace them. Stopping for a moment at the backs of her knees, he barely ran his fingers along the crease and she gasped at the sensation. Had she been standing, the strength in her legs would have surely given out from the pleasurable thing.

Elladan laughed at her and placed his lips to hers in a somewhat awkward fashion, but had some how accomplished an particularly passionate kiss. Again, he traced his fingers across the soft flesh behind her knees, and she let out another small gasp that he muted with his mouth. She pulled back from him, removing her head from the position it was resting and looked at him. "You have learned many things while we have been separated. Care to tell me how you have learned them?"

He chuckled, "I have not been unfaithful to you, if that is what you trying to implicate. I could never be when I have such an elleth waiting for me, and it would do well for you to trust me."

"I do trust you, but I cannot also help but think that eight hundred and eighty-two years have passed. Even for an Elf, that is a long time to wait for something that could so easily be supplied to someone of your standing and…" she trailed off, running her fingers down his chest, "pleasing qualities."

He smiled gently and sat up rather than resting back on one hand and pulled her to him to kiss her. There was so much intent and passion behind this kiss, that she found it quite easy to get carried away with it, and soon found herself straddling his outstretched legs. His hands snaked around her waist and lowered to her behind, where his large hands effortlessly grabbed the flesh through her gown, pushing her pelvis much more tightly against him, so that she could feel the very evident excitement protruding from his leggings. Breaking the long string of kisses, he moved his lips her ear and whispered, "I have waited every single one of those years in complete aching agony to find release, knowing that if I waited, I would be rewarded at long last with the elleth whom I desire among all other things."

Silaerín met his now gleaming eyes, mirroring the bright moonlight, and knew what he said was the truth. She had always known that it _was _true, but she just could not believe that a male being of any kind could have so much love and care for the plain, quiet Telerin elleth from the Havens. "Elladan, I know that my grandfather loves me, and now Celin cares for me, but you know that my life has not been fraught with the most healthy types of love. I do not yet know what it is like to actually have a pure, normal love from someone else."

"I had thought you knew you have been loved by many others for a long while," he said, reaching a hand to her cheek and caressing it.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"I have loved you from the moment Elrohir and I caught you listening into Galdor's conversation with my father," he said. "Aye, it has grown stronger as I got to know you better, and changed through the years, but make no mistake, Silaerín. I have _always_ loved you."

She grew quiet and removed her eyes from his, letting them fall to his chest where her fingers were absently playing with one of the toggle fastenings on his tunic. Tears came to her eyes as she thought of all those times she felt so alone in Mithlond, and yet she had never been alone in those times because his love had found her. She had always felt his strength and love there in some form or another. Perhaps that was what kept her just sane enough to keep going in this world, without going mad from her sequestered life at the Havens.

He stopped her hand, making her avert her eyes up to him in question. "And besides my love, you have had my entire family's love for all these years. Silaerín, you have never been unloved, and you never will be."

She smiled through her tears and tried to brush them away, "I act like an Elfling with these tears."

"You do not," he said, taking his own hands and brushing the tears from her cheeks. He kissed her tenderly. "I love you Silaerín Dínainel."

Silaerín paused for a moment, looking into his eyes and smiling, "You have renamed me, my lord? That right is only reserved for family or life mates."

"Said whom?" he asked with a laugh. "And just know there are many other things I would like to call you, but this one sounded the best rolling off of my tongue, and it was the only socially acceptable one."

"I should like to hear what it sounds like in throes of love making," she giggled, leaning over to kiss him. "I should be glad that it is not Nad Min."

"I thought about jesting and giving you that one," he replied. "But I thought you would take it quite seriously."

"I would have," Silaerín smiled and kissed him again. She said against his mouth, "Now I must name you."

He replied, "I am perfectly happy with Elladan, but if you were to decide to give me a name, I would prefer something along the lines of 'great warrior'."

She chuckled, "We shall see, meleth."

"We shall," he murmured and pulled her to his lips again. Once he had her fully engaged in the kiss, he let his hands roam down the back of head, all the way to her behind again to hold her in place, grinding himself against her ever so slightly. His fingers found her legs, now bent and on either side of his as she straddled him. Slowly they worked their way beneath the hem of her gown, moving all the way up to her smooth thighs, caressing ever so lightly before finally moving closer to her inner thighs and displacing the undergarment easily. Shock registered throughout her body when his fingers touched her carefully and experimentally. Half of this shock was a pleasurable kind, but the other half was for being completely open to the night, making them a convenient target for others to happen upon.

"We cannot do this out here in the open," she said through a gasp as he moved his fingers again.

"And why not?" he questioned, his other arm coming around her waist to hold her hips in one place.

"Anyone could-," but she was unfairly cut off by another of his soft caresses, this time her hips bucking against his hand causing more delightful friction. Perhaps she could forget her propriety for this. It felt too lovely… nay, too spine tingling… too everything.

Elladan chuckled lowly, his lips finding her neck as her head fell back, "Doth not protest any longer, meleth?"

Unable to reply, she shook her head.

His lips trailed their way down the low neckline of her gown, and his teeth grazed across the hardened nubs from beneath the thin cloth. One thing was for certain… he was definitely more experienced than he had been the first time, and she could not wait to learn what else he could do. She made a quick note to herself that she should seek out and thank whoever taught him, or told him, about these things. They deserved a great deal of gratitude.

"Ai Elbereth!" she found herself exclaiming then, only to lose complete function of her brain as she was pushed over the edge into blessed release.

* * *

"What is the count now?" asked a curious Glorfindel as he tried to suppress a large smile.

Elrond glanced away from the slowly lightening sky, now turning from deep blue to a shade lighter, with tinges of orange and red close on the horizon. It had become a tradition of his to always watch the rising of the sun on the new loa, and especially the new yén. It gave his wearied heart a feeling of peace and rebirth every year, and he supposed that the others also watched the sunrise for that reason. Some there had even heavier hearts than he, and seen much more sorrow; it was a wonder they still maintained some joy in Arda.

"I believe it would be one for her, one for him, and two together," said Erestor, who smirked slightly before gazing back toward the horizon.

However, they usually did not have two very passionate and vigorous Elves making love high above their heads in an open flet, and going about it in the least quiet way, though it was not too horribly bad. He had contemplated on going up and interrupting them to send them to a more private room, but he had not the heart. Elrond only wondered what would happen if they knew half of Lothlórien had heard their orchestrations.

"They are worse than rutting rabbits," Erestor complained.

That received a light chuckle from the others, and Círdan sighed mirthfully, "They are young."

"And it has been nearly nine hundred years since they last saw each other," Celeborn replied with a chuckle to himself. "But I do think it must also have to do with the Noldorin blood. I can personally attest to that."

Elrond found it slightly disturbing to hear his wife's father say that, but he almost retorted with something about Celebrían and her Noldorin blood. However, he figured that if he thought such talk about Galadriel was embarrassing, he could not imagine how awkward it would be to mention Celebrían in such a manner with her father right there.

As a matter of fact, they should have all found it slightly awkward, even wrong, to be listening to these lovers high above them in the first place. To put it into context was disconcerting… his son and the elleth he considered a daughter. Celeborn's eldest grandson; Círdan's granddaughter. And Erestor and Glorfindel who had just as much a part in raising Elladan as he did. By all means, it should have been considered exceptionally immoral, but for some reason it was nice to hear that there were still people creating new love in the once more darkening world.

"Has he spoken with Silaerín about the betrothal yet?" Círdan asked.

"I do not think so," Elrond chuckled. "He was to do it this morning when the sun rose, but I do not think he has any intention of getting to it soon."

"Betrothal?" Glorfindel asked. "I had not heard of a betrothal."

"He has told no one about it but his parents, and he only asked me for her hand this eve," Círdan said. "But I knew much before hand because I saw a glimpse of it while she was in Imladris."

Celeborn grunted, "My lady wife as well. I have never seen that elleth so excited about something in her life. I had thought she was incapable of being so incredibly giddy, except maybe for Elrond's union with Celebrían."

"I think she was more pleased with herself that her subtleties and trickery worked to finally make Celebrían and I see what we had," Elrond replied, recalling those times with a wistful sigh.

Celeborn laughed and nodded his head, "True."

There was silence among them as the sun peaked over the far trees, but Elrond smiled to himself. "I could not have asked for more lovely an elleth for Elladan. I think it would be impossible to find another."

Círdan smiled proudly, "Flattery? I thought you were above flattery Peredhel? But thank you, I could not be more proud for how my granddaughter has grown despite all odds being against her. And that is in large part due to you four, but especially Elladan."

Silence fell between them again, but this time it was different type of silence… an awkward silence. They wanted to ask the same question, but did not know how to tactfully word it. But finally it was Glorfindel's brutal frankness, "What will we do about Nenvír?"

"He will no doubt be angry about it, especially if they choose to bind n a years time. That means she will move to Imladris," Círdan said and let out a long breath from his lips. "Truthfully, I know not what to expect. My son has been a riddle to me ever since his mother gave birth to him. You could not possibly understand what it is like to have all of my power to see into the future, and be unable to figure out my own son."

"We could try, but we would fail miserably," Elrond replied. "But I must admit, sometimes it is hard to even figure out the thought process Elladan and Elrohir go through sometimes."

They let that comment hang in the air for a few moments until Glorfindel sighed, "What of Elrohir? Does he know that his twin is plighting his troth, and in so much making his choice?"

Elrond shook his head, "I believe Elrohir fully knows the intentions of his brother without them having to be spoken, though I suspect it will spur him along to trying to find his own elleth or woman before he makes his choice."

"Let us now worry about it now gentle ellyn," said Círdan. "For now we shall renew our spirits in this sunrise."

* * *

Ada- father

Ionnen- son

Meleth- love

Dinainel- Elf of beautiful silence


	21. Lothlórien: A Promise and A Prince

_A/N: After this chapter, we will be going in to a fast-forward mode, covering the scenes that are part of the plot, but would drag the story out if I did an entire section for each of the years/realms like I have done for the past chapters. This was planned, and not me getting tired of the story, which just is not the case… I totally love writing this paring. Frankly, I really only need one chapter to get to the 'rough seas' ahead, and one to live through the roughness. Do not throw rotten tomatoes at the author. ;-)_

Chapter 20- Lothlórien: A Promise and A Prince

It had been a marvelous evening and early morning together with Elladan. Actually there was not quite any word she could choose to describe what had happened between them since he had woken her and taken her to the flet where they cemented their ever-growing bond more than once, and probably even let other unsuspecting ears hear a great deal of it was well. After the first wonderful release, though, she had not cared who heard them… she just hoped for the sake of her bashfulness that no one chose to bring the subject up in a blatant manner.

After a few hours of rest in his much larger suite of chambers within his grandparent's new dwelling, they had woken to the warm mid-morning sunlight streaming in through the windows and stayed in each others arms without speaking for the entire time. She had recently taken to running her hands over his chest, and tracing the outline of his muscles with her fingers, marveling in the creation that was this peredhel. Elladan, on the other hand, seemed just content to lay back and enjoy her fingers on him with a pleased smile on his face that somehow mirrored a cat that had just caught a mouse.

"I should go back to my talan," she said quietly, glancing up at him.

"Why must you do that?" he questioned. "I was only beginning to make up for lost time."

Silaerín giggled, and rose up on her elbow to look down at him. She smoothed some of the hair that had gotten ruffled sometime this morning, doing who knew what, as he reached an arm around her waist, easily pulling her over his body so that she once again straddled him. She felt his excitement against her thigh that she saw before hand, but had chosen to ignore. Rolling her eyes, she leaned down over him to his him, "Really, I must go prepare for my outing this afternoon."

"Outing with whom?" he questioned.

"Prince Legolas," she replied. "If you will remember his choice of prize."

Elladan frowned, "He is always charming ellyth into things… I wish you would not go."

Silaerín chuckled, "My lord, I would have thought of that before you agreed to your sister and I being the prizes for the competition."

"Aye, you would have," he laughed lightly, flipping her onto her back and followed after her, pinning her to the bed with his powerful body. "You will not let him trick you into something you would regret?"

"How could I when I have you pining away for me?" she responded.

"I do not pine," he said.

Silaerín smiled, "You do, Elladan. Now, please let me get up. I would wish to get this meal over with as soon as is Elvenly possible so that I may come back and seek you out."

Elladan did not make a move of any type, and only looked down at her intently.

"Elladan, I am serious," she said.

He smiled slightly, almost nervously, and sighed, "I have a question to ask you before you leave me to go on an outing with that Elf."

Silaerín chuckled, "And what would that be, my envious love?"

"As you honor me with the prize dance I requested at the festivities this eve," he began and seemed to become a bit more confident, "will you also honor me by doing it as my betrothed?"

"Of course I-," she started with the answer she would give to anything Elladan asked of her, but his actual question permeated her brain and she realized what exactly he had asked, and the gravity of it, not only between them, but Elladan alone with his choice. "Elladan…"

He smiled tenderly, "Yes?"

"Are you sure you wish this?" she questioned.

She could not quite tell if he took this offensively or not, but he chuckled, "I have never been more serious in my life, Silaerín. I love you more than anything else in Arda, and I wish to make the bond we have permanent when we are presented the time to do so, though this time is not that time."

Silaerín could not contain herself with the joy now radiating through her, "I love you Elladan."

"I know," he replied. "But you still have not answered my original question."

"Aye, my lord," she said quietly, now feeling the joyful tears pricking at her eyes. "Aye, I would honor you with that."

A large smile spread across his face, as he leaned down and placed his lips to hers, occupying her for a long amount of time before pulling away and looking down at her. "Our marriage may not take place for another good number of years, Silaerín. There are many things I will be a part of that will keep me from doing so."

"I would wait all the ages of the world for you, Elladan," she smiled.

"I am happy for that," he said, and removed himself from her then. "We will exchange our rings at the celebration this eve, and you are to see my mother when you are given a chance."

Silaerín nodded her head, "I shall do that…"

Elladan leaned over and placed another kiss to her lips, "Now, go on your outing with Legolas."

"Now I do not wish to go," she said.

He laughed, "You must, or he will turn to Arwen for attention, and that is the last thing I want to happen."

"You would place your betrothed at the mercy of an Elf like Legolas, but not your sister," Silaerín remarked, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and standing up. She glanced back at him, "I see how I rate."

Elladan followed her quickly, and stood behind her, pulling her against him, "I think you can handle yourself better than Arwen. Besides, she has enough trouble with the arrogant March Warden."

Silaerín chuckled and shook her head, pulling away from him. She quickly reached for her gown and slipped it over her head, "We shall speak of this later, my lord."

She kissed him quickly and he chuckled, "I will count on that."

* * *

It did not take her very long to find out that Legolas played a role when his father was around. He still maintained a level of charm and eloquence in the way he tried to impress her or woo her with words, but he was entirely different than what she had originally pegged him as. To say that she was happy that Legolas was an intelligent and respectful Elf was a huge understatement. Their meal out by a stream on the outskirts of the city had been quite lovely, and she felt as though she had made yet another friend in this vast world… who could prove to be quite a valuable friend in the long scheme of the things should she ever require his help. 

"I must be completely honest, Legolas," she said quietly as they walked slowly along the trail back toward the city. "After the competition yesterday I thought you would be nothing but a brazen, shameless elleth-hunting fiend."

He laughed at her, "Can you really blame an ellon for that when it is in context with you, my lady?"

"Yes, I can," she responded flatly, gazing at him.

"I suppose I can, then," Legolas let his chuckle fade. "I will not lie to you and say that I do not find a certain delight in pursuing ellyth, but must of the time the way I act comes without any real intention of myself. I blame the mannerisms on my father."

Silaerín giggled lightly, "What little I know of you and your father, I would still have to agree with you."

He sighed and glanced at her, "My father thinks it his duty to find a suitable elleth for me to bind with, and usually those he tries to woo for me are ladies from important families so that he may gain something from it. And with Arwen and you here, two ellyth of the highest birth in Arda and unwed, he is working over time."

She smiled, "He will not be happy then to find out that I am betrothed."

Legolas cocked his head to the side, "You mean to tell me we have spent all day together, and you have not let me know you are betrothed? Here I was thinking that we could possibly have something more."

Silaerín raised her brows, trying to decided if he was serious or not. But he chuckled, and she sighed easily, letting out a relieved laugh. "You should not jest like that with someone like me."

"Someone like you? I thought someone like you would enjoy my good humor," he said.

"Most of the time I would, but I also have a problem with being gullible," she replied with a small chuckle.

They walked along a little longer in silence, until he turned to her and smiled, "Which twin is it? Elladan or Elrohir?"

Silaerín blushed slightly, "Elladan. I would ask how you know it is one of the twins, but I surmised you have seen the numerous glances between us."

"I would tell you and I would embarrass you, but I fear I already have embarrassed you because you know exactly what I am speaking of," Legolas explained as she felt her cheeks grow warm as she diverted her eyes to the ground.

"Elbereth," she muttered to herself. Who else had heard them last eve?

Legolas chuckled, and took her hand to place it in his arm as they continued to walk, "My guest talan is very close to that flet, but you need not worry. It was not that loud."

"I do not think it was fair of Elladan… I know little about the vicinities of things here in Lórien and he drags me about," she said.

"I think he did it just to rub in my face the fact that he is with you, and I am not," Legolas said. "The twins and I have had this rapport between us for quite a while now that we always try to one up the other. You see, I asked for an afternoon with you. In a retaliation to that, Elladan takes you to the flet close to my talan, almost as though in an effort to show me that I cannot have you… Aye, we act like horrible Elflings sometimes."

Silaerín smiled, "Aye, I know the twins are devious, but now I must watch out for you."

Legolas looked down at her and smiled, "I will not continue anything in this arena with you, my lady, trying to be devious about things, especially not now that I know you are betrothed."

"It is not official yet, but that will happen this eve," she replied.

"So I still have a few hours time to one up Elladan?" he questioned, but laughed good naturedly when she frowned at him.

She chuckled and shook her head, gazing in front of her again as they finally made it into the heart of the city. They walked in the direction of the guest talans, but ran into a smiling Glorfindel. He looked at her, his smile growing brighter, his brown eyes twinkling, and she knew he knew something. And her mind went straight to the incident… or incidents, rather… on the flet last eve.

Legolas stopped and glanced down at her. He took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it, "Thank for this pleasurable afternoon, my lady, but I think my father will wish to hear a report on the happenings to see if I am any closer to forming any alliances."

"You are most welcome, my lord," she replied. When he was gone, Glorfindel cleared his throat to get her attention. Silaerín turned, "Yes?"

"Let me escort you to Lady Celebrían," Glorfindel said. "She has been driving Elrond mad because you have not come to see her yet, and it is growing closer to the evening."

"Very well," she said, and took his offered arm.

"And before anyone else has a chance to say this, may I offer my sincere apologies that you were caught in the middle of the battle that is the twins and the princeling?" he looked at her.

Silaerín chuckled, "You may, but I will not accept them. There is nothing to apologize for… I got what I wanted in the end."

Glorfindel let out a soft, lyrical laugh, "Aye, many times I believe."

"You did not hear it as well!" she exclaimed, looking at him worriedly.

But he gave a morbid nod of his head, but laughed again, "My lady, it is a natural process among us all… and those who heard you two, erm, enthusiastic lovers, will not go around telling everyone of it."

She felt slightly unwell now, "_Those _who heard us?"

He glanced at her quickly, "I should not have said that."

"Tell me now, or I will tell Lord Elrond you like to teach impressionable youths about the art of lovemaking," she threatened.

"My lady, are you threatening me with the friend I have known for many, many years?" he asked, very amused at this situation. "Elladan was not young when I schooled him on methods in which to enhance both of your pleasures. Who would Elrond really believe?"

Silaerín rolled her eyes, "Just tell me who heard us, so I can threaten Elladan later."

Glorfindel chuckled, "My lady, I only tell you because I can see the wrath I would endure should I withhold this secret. There were a few of us ellyn that were watching the sunrise on a few flets below yours. Those in attendance for the opus were Erestor, Elrond, myself, Lord Celeborn and your grandfather."

"Lord Celeborn?" she barely got that out of her throat as she felt herself growing very embarrassed. "Lord Elrond… my grandfather? You must be jesting."

"I am not, my lady," he replied. "You asked for it."

"But you were not supposed to tell me!" she exclaimed.

Glorfindel scoffed, "I have lived two lives in this world, seen horrors you could not conceive, slew a Balrog…. Still I do not understand the workings of the ellyth mind!"

Silaerín chuckled lightly, but still could not take her mind off of the fact that they had all heard what was happening. "Elladan will pay for this…"

"Please, my lady, do not punish him too harshly. If anything, your actions last eve and this morning reminded us old Elves what it was like once more to be young and in love. And I am sure both Galadriel and Celebrían would thank you for the inspirations you gave their husbands."

"That _is_ too much information, Glorfindel," said a voice from behind them.

Silaerín turned to find Galadriel walking with Celebrían, and she felt herself blush again. She bowed her head slightly, "My ladies."

"Come, hênen," Galadriel smiled, "since the mighty Balrog slayer cannot deliver you to us in a timely manner."

Silaerín glanced at Glorfindel and scowled at him playfully, walking toward the two other ellyth. Silaerín found herself going in another direction in the city, again on another walk, but this seemed different to her. As she gazed at the two ellyth walking on either side of her, she had to feel very, very lucky indeed. Sure, she had walked with Legolas and Glorfindel today, her grandfather and Lord Elrond before… but to walk with these two ellyth was a special thing for her. To be accepted into the small circle of trust, and to be aloud to be placed in the middle of their mother/daughter bond was, was a priceless thing for her. She felt honored to walk with them, or even speak to them, for she considered them the two most wonderful ellyth in all the world. Of course, it was partly because she had not had the female influence in her life, but she held them in the highest regard no matter what.

They made their way to the gardens and sat down on a two benches that surrounded a small fountain. Celebrían was the first to speak, "Elladan could not contain himself after you left him this morning."

"Aye, he was very overjoyed," Galadriel nodded. "It was as though he was an Elfling again, running around, telling everyone that he had learned something new."

Silaerín giggled lightly, gazing at the trickling water of the stone fountain. "I cannot believe he asked me…"

Celebrían chuckled, "I cannot believe he waited so long."

"That is what Elrohir said," Silaerín replied. "He said he has been unbearable to live with."

"Silaerín, pen neth, you have no idea," Celebrían said. They shared a few moments of companionable silence, until Celebrían withdrew from the folds of her gown a small velvet pouch and held it out to her. "This ring is of the set once crafted by Celebrimbor, for the betrothal of my mother and father. Elrond and I wore them, and now you and Elladan shall have the honor of wearing such blessed rings of mithril."

Silaerín looked over the ring that she had dumped out of the bag into her hand. The inscriptions were in Noldorin, but it was hard to distinguish exactly what was written on the band of silver. Galadriel chuckled, "It reads, 'He who wears this band has dominion of my heart.' And the one you will receive from Elladan read, 'She who wears this band has the faithfulness of my heart.'"

"Thank you," Silaerín said, gazing up at them. "They are truly magnificent."

They both smiled brightly, but Galadriel turned quite solemn. "There is an important message, Silaerín, in the rings' inscriptions. You must always know that no matter what happens, Elladan will most likely control your heart and never let it go, though he may seem like it at times. And for you, it is wise to always be faithful to him, even if you may not be in a frame of mind to agree with him."

Silaerín nodded her head, and could not help but feel the foreboding in the great elleth's voice, but she placed it into the back of her mind as probably better advice for the real marriage long in the future.

* * *

Henen- my child 

Pen neth- young one


	22. Mithlond: Sorrow and Insincerities

_A/N: The chapters are just coming so easily now, I cannot help but post this new one right away. Please make sure to read the last chapter before this one if you did not notice that two chapters have been updated closely together. Sinking part is from the newest Lost episode. Thought it fit. Thank you, and I hope to here from you soon! More to come shortly!_

Chapter 21- Mithlond: Sorrow and Insincerities

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2510 of the Third Age

Passing of Celebrían, wife of Elrond Peredhil, over Sea

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She had not seen all of them after her betrothal to Elladan, and the long, much needed month that she stayed in Lothlórien. It definitely was not as unbearable as it was the last long divide they had between them… not with the letters they sent back forth or the few journeys Elladan himself had made to spend time with her here in the Havens. Her father was slightly more accepting of the pairing, so he rarely commented adversely to her love. Really, all she needed to do was look at the small circle upon her finger, and she would be happy and know that at a future time she would be wed to Elladan.

Now, she was not so sure of that.

This trip to Mithlond was a grief-filled one for all of Elrond's family, and also for her personally. She was glad that Elrond was such a skilled healer and could nurse Celebrían back to some semblance of a life, but to know that Celebrían's fëa could not be healed back to a place where she could once again delight in Arda was devastating to her husband and children. Even more so than Arwen, the twins had become quiet, hardened ellyn, with only a constant state of gloom hanging over their heads. She was sure anyone would act like this losing a mother, but she personally would have taken into her heart that Celebrían had survived, and was now sailing to a place where she would joyous and free from the troubles that had blackened her spirit for over this past year. She would have at least exalted in the fact that the Elves were accorded such a gift.

However, the twins did not.

When the incident happened a year ago, she had stopped receiving all letters from Elladan. That had worried her slightly, but she brushed it off with the knowledge that a year in the long scheme of things was not going to be that huge a difference. Now, though, they had spent a good two weeks with them as the preparations were made for Celebrían's voyage, and the twins had been downright moody. Elladan in particular had not said more than ten words to her, and the words 'I love you' were not three of those ten. She thought she was being selfish wanting him to say that to her, or at least recognize her as something other than his host while he stayed here, in a time he was watching his mother depart from Arda. She had tried to lessen the heaviness upon his mind by speaking with him, and soothing him with rubbing his shoulders- literally anything she could think of- and every time she was met with an angry and irritable ellon.

So she had resolved to stay away from Elladan as much as possible until he was ready to speak with her. She just hoped that he _would _speak with her.

With a sigh, he watched as Celebrían said her final farewell to Elrond, who looked much worse than Celebrían. She glanced to the side to her grandfather who was watching the exchange with her. He sighed sadly as well, and glanced at her. Had he been reading her thoughts, or was he just so over come with emotion now being passed between the family on the docks?

"If Elladan looks for me, I am down at my spot on the beach," she said quietly, leaving his side then to start on the winding path, through trees down to her private spot on the beach, not waiting for a response.

She waded into the water, until her ankles were covered, holding her skirts up to ensure their survival from this action. Gazing out on the gloomy Sea, she felt her heart plummet to the ground. There was no way she would ever think of marrying Elladan if he was going to be like this for the rest of his life. She could not, and would not, deal with another ellon acting so horribly toward her. But she closed her eyes and asked any of the Valar to intervene if they thought it necessary. She could not bear to lose Elladan… he was the one thing she always counted on and lived for. If she told him, she would not marry him because he would not change, or he did something as equally horrible, she knew not if she would long survive fading.

The crunching of the sand beneath boots brought her back to reality, and she turned her head slightly to find Celin stopping behind her. He sighed, "Out here again?"

"Aye," she replied softly.

"What do you do out here?" he questioned.

Silaerín glanced at her feet, "Sink."

Celin chuckled lightly, "I see."

"Sometimes I would wish it was much easier to sink into the ground and disappear, not having to worry about the things that occur in this life," she said.

Her brother did not reply for what seemed like an age, but he took his boots off and joined her side in the water, "Then I shall sink too, so you are not alone."

"Celin, I would like to be alone," she glanced at him.

He glanced at her, giving her a serious look, "I will not leave you here to slip even more deeply into the shadow created by our visitors."

Silaerín smiled slightly, "Thank you."

"Now, is there anything that I can do?" he questioned.

"I think not, Celin," she said and looked toward the foaming water at her feet, feeling tears begin to prick at her eyes. "But then, I know not what is going on around me anymore."

Celin was quiet for a few moments as he thought about her statement, but eventually said, "The passing of a mother in any regard can do much to an Elf's meaning in life."

Silaerín glanced up at him, "That does nothing to comfort me, Celin."

He frowned slightly, and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly, "Do not cry, Silaerín. Do not cry because of him… if he truly makes you cry then he is not worth it."

"But I love him, Celin," she replied.

"I know you do," he said and pulled back from her. "But perhaps the Valar had other plans for both of you."

"I will not accept that," she shook her head. "Why would they allow us to commit our troth to each other, when, in the long run, they were only going to break us apart? Elves err not in the choosing of their mates, and hardly ever break their betrothals except for extreme cases."

"Perhaps this is considered an extreme case," he mumbled but she heard him perfectly. And she knew Celin made a good point. "Perhaps it would be better for you to let him go and see if he comes back? That will tell you if this was meant to be."

Silaerín nodded her head and turned from him then, "But what if he makes his choice to be counted among Men? I would still fade from grief…"

Celin sighed, and squeezed her arm, "Silaerín, only you can know what is best. I only came to ensure that you did not throw yourself into the Sea because I have noticed your dour looks, and I was afraid you would do something rash."

"Have you ever known me to do anything without thinking about it for a great deal of time?" she questioned with a small smile.

He chuckled, "Nay, I have not… I shall see you later. I am to meet Bainon to spar."

"Very well," she replied, watching him walk away. After he was out of sight, she turned back to the Sea, watching the waves cresting and then falling down on top of themselves. It was almost a parallel to the problems with Elladan. They had built a relationship, slowly at first, and then rushing to a crest where they became betrothed, and then collapsed atop itself now with these happenings.

If only there was some way to reverse them, so that she would have never fallen in love with him in the first place. But then she realized she was jumping to conclusions… perhaps she just thought too deeply into all of this. She would never know, though, unless he spoke to her.

* * *

Elladan walked along the path and came to a stop, finding Silaerín standing out a little ways in the water, with her skirt hitched up slightly to prevent them from getting wet. He pause behind her, watching her and picked up the faint sound of crying. Elbereth, he knew he was the reason for that, and it pained him to know he would be the reason for even more tears to come. If only he could muster the courage to tell her what he wished. Though he knew that courage would never fully come, because, perhaps, it was one of the most idiotic decisions he had made his entire life. Nevertheless it was a decision he had to make for his own personal peace of mind, even if that meant losing Silaerín and never seeing her again.

"I know you are there," she called, not turning around to look at him.

"Silaerín, please come to the dry sand so we may talk," he called out.

She did not give any sign of coming to him, but she finally turned around and made her way slowly to him. Dropping her skirts to the ground, she straightened her gown on her shoulders and looked up at him. "I came, so now speak."

It was hard not to notice the sadness and anger in her voice, but it was for reasons other than his mother leaving. Elladan sighed, "I know not what to say."

"Speak your heart to me. I have tried more than once to gain some knowledge of your intentions, but all I seem to come out with is being angry and hurt because you have blocked me," she said. "I would wish to know what you think."

"I know not what I think," he said, gazing past her and out toward the Sea. He could not bear it to look into her eyes.

"That is nonsense and you know it," she said bitterly. "This is your chance, Elladan. Your last chance to tell me what has happened to us."

"My priorities have changed since we rescued Naneth from those foul beasts," he said. "All I care about now is righting the wrongs that were committed against my mother."

"You are only one person, Elladan," she replied. "You cannot possibly think to take on every single orc by yourself."

He looked at her then, "Nay, but I will work my way through them, one by one, until I feel my mother's suffering has been compensated for. We plan to ride with the Dúnedain."

"Very well," she said calmly, "I had imagined as much."

"Silaerín, please…" he took a deep breath. "And I have also thought that perhaps I have not yet had to make my choice between Men or Elves because of all that was to happen. Each day I think of it, I think that perhaps the Doom of Man is really a gift…"

She clenched her jaw, and her eyes flickered with a rage he had never seen in her. "You are noting but a fool Elladan… it is true living so many years has it's toll on our fëar, but if you do this because of what happened with your mother, then you are a fool. You will see her again if you remain Elven."

"I shall delay my choice," he said. "And as of now, I know not which I will choose."

He watched as the tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back successfully. Her voice wavered, "Why are you doing this Elladan? Why are you pushing me away? Why are you pushing our love away?"

"Because, Silaerín, I love you and I do not want to see you hurt like my mother," he said.

"See _me_ hurt?!" she exclaimed. "Excuse me if I am wrong, but I would say what you are doing now is pretty hurtful, saying you may choose the Doom of Men, and completely disregard Elves and in so much, me."

Elladan hated himself then, but he had to keep firm. "I saw what happened between my mother and father after we brought her back… how he felt, and how he acted. And then I thought, what would happen if he had not been able to save her? The only reason she was traveling anyway was to spend time with my grandparents, and that was because she wed someone such a long distance from her home."

He waited for her outburst then, but she did not do anything like that. She just stood still, gazing at him as though he had five heads. Then her face grew red and she muttered something. "So now you have become my father? You are full of nothing but hot air… I cannot believe you would actually say that. You only _think_ you mean this."

"No… I do certainly mean this," he said. "If I were to bind with you, I would never be able to bear it if you were hurt or killed. I love you Silaerín, I always will love you, but it is better for both of us if I am not with you to cause this…"

"Better for whom? You? Me? You would rather see me fade because of something that may or may not ever happen should we bind? That is complete and utter rubbish, Elladan, and you know it," she accused.

Elladan looked at her and took a deep breath, "Then perhaps you should sail West, before you fade. Find a true Elf here or in Aman. At least then I would know you were safe."

Silaerín clenched her jaw, and closed her eyes for a few moments. "These words are familiar to me, Elladan. I cannot believe that you would do this to me… using this old argument that my father has for so long used on me to make me stay here. To keep me from experience life elsewhere, except in the corners of my grandfather's dwelling and this spot on the shore."

"I am sorry."

"If this is how you truly feel about protecting anyone you love, then I say your love is not good enough for me, Elladan," she said. "It is filled with all of the things I have hated my entire life."

He felt his heart break ever so slightly then. Out of the both of them, he had not thought he would be hurt as well. He reached out to touch her cheek but she flinched and stepped out of his reach, "Silaerín…"

She bit her lip, and kept her eyes on the ground. Slowly, she lifted her right hand up and gazed at the mithril on her index finger. For a few long moments, she gazed at it and said, "It has somehow lost it's luster."

"That is cruel," he said. He knew that the rings, when worn by two lovers, always seemed to carry a certain incandescent quality. For her to say that it had lost it's luster hurt him some more.

"I am being cruel?" she questioned with a snort. Silaerín removed the ring from her finger and reached out for his right hand. She had not noticed before that he had removed his own band while still in Imladris, and now that it was very evident, she looked up at him sharply. He saw the hurt in her eyes then, but it was gone all too soon as it turned to a bitter frown. Placing the ring in the palm of his hand and closing his fingers around it, she said, "I do not wish to speak with you for as long as I still reside here in Arda."

With that, she left him, running toward the dwelling. He started after her, but one of the qualities he had always lacked was the Elven swiftness in his feet. But she slowed down after a bit and he was able to close the distance just slightly, that was before she made to her chambers, slammed the door shut and locked it into place. He stopped at the end of the hallway and looked at the ring still in his hand.

"You did not do what I think…" came the voice of his sister. He glanced up at her, and noticed the irritation in her eyes. Arwen's mouth opened slightly and her eyebrows raised in question. "How could you think to do that?! Has there not been enough pain around you, you only had to go cause more?"

"What I did was because I love her," Elladan replied.

"She deserves more than the love you give her," Arwen remarked, turning quickly to head down the hall toward Silaerín's chambers.

* * *

And so it was, for the following years in the Third Age, that Silaerín found herself completely alone. To save herself from fading, she had taken back her old customs of always going to the beach and drowning her sorrows in the waves. It was some solace, but not the solace she needed, because not day went by when she did not think of Elladan and what he was doing at that time. She wondered if he was hurt, or if he was even alive. Had he found other females to slate his lust now that she was out of the picture? The only link she had to them was from Arwen residing in Lothlórien with her grandparents, but often times she wondered if Arwen was even telling the truth in her letters.

One thing was still certain, though.

She would love him until the end of the world; her heart would be forever tied to his whether he ignored it or not.


	23. Interlude: Letters Between Friends

A/N: My last offering to all of you before I delve head first into studying for college exams. But after the dearth of chapters for the next few weeks, I will make it up to you by having four weeks off with nothing to do but write. Anyway, to anyone else in the midst of final exams, my sincerest wishes of good luck for all of you. And I'll say Happy Holidays now, in case I forget later.

Chapter 22: Interlude- Letters Between Friends

_8 Laer 2951 of the Third Age_

_To my friend,_

_Things go on much as they have since my last letter to you, except now I write to you from my chambers in Imladris. It is wonderful to be home again; I did not realize just how much I missed it during my long stay in Lórien. But as soon as I set foot back into the realm, and smelled the scent that the plants permeate here, I smiled to myself. I would surely miss this place if I were to ever leave it for good._

_Elladan and Elrohir rode with some of the Dúnedain to Lórien to escort me through the mountains. They said they trust no one but themselves to watch over me, and still have not come close to forgetting what happened to our mother. I think about it often as well, but each time I see them, they seem to grow more and more disconnected from all that is good in the world. They seem to think their role in this life is to hunt down every single fell beast and kill them. It truly frightens me the way they speak sometimes of vengeance and retribution. Each time I do hear it, I know it cannot possibly be them thinking it. I worry about them, Silaerín. They care for nothing except death and glory, and do not settle into one relationship with other females._

_I could easily blame it on the group of Men they ride with. The Dúnedain are an odd people. They wear blacks and greys, smoke like chimneys and have some very foul dispositions sometimes. True, they are Men of the greatest integrity and valor, but sometimes they can be downright gloomy. I know not when I will return to Lórien, but hopefully when I do, it will not be with them._

_However, on a possibly happier note, (I know it is for me) from a rather somber letter… I met someone upon my arrival. He is a Dúnadan as well, but he is a young one, no more than 20 years of age. I know that is young and inexperienced in our eyes, but he seems to be much wiser than he sometimes lets on. He has been my father's ward after the death of his father when he was only two years of age. My brothers say they that they have been schooling him on his weaponry and other things, of unwholesome quality I am sure. He is handsome for a Man, and Chieftain of his people. I do not think I could expound all of his qualities that first attracted me, but it is evident Ada is not pleased with it. I will remind him, should the time come, that it is my choice. But that probably will do no better to ease his worry. And as you may now be wondering his name, it is Aragorn. Everyone here in Imladris calls him Estel, because they did not reveal his true heritage until only a few days ago. If you have not connected names or history yet, he is the heir of Gondor and Arnor. I do not think he has quite come to terms with what this means to him, but when it does, I hope he does not turn away from the path. This is all in my hindsight, though. _

_The truth is, I know not what to do about this. It is obvious to me that there is a certain attraction there between us, but he is young and will have many trials ahead of him. And if I were to choose him, that would mean I would remain in Arda and have the Doom of Men bestowed upon me. What do you say on the matter? I would not bring this up with you, because of the past happenings, but I value your opinion on the matter. I am sure you know that already._

_I will stop boring you now with stories from my life. I truly hope life is good in Mithlond. I should very much like to see you soon, but I do not think I will be able to make a journey there because of Elladan. I am sure Elrohir would gladly come see you, but as you know, they go nowhere without each other. Please write me as soon as you get this._

_Your friend,_

_Undómiel_

_--------------_

_54 Iavas 2951 of the Third Age_

_My dearest Undómiel,_

_I know not where to begin on your last letter. First I suppose I should apologize for the long wait on this. The messenger did not arrive until last month, because of urgent letters being sent from your father to grandfather, that was then passed to Mirkwood. And in addition to that, for the past month I have been summarily occupied with a male of my own. The ellon I am referring to is Bainon. You have met him before, I am sure. It is no more than a good friendship at this point, and I know not if it will become more. Truthfully, I do not want it to become more, for my heart is still bound with Elladan, no matter how much I wish the bond would break._

_So this leads me to the first part of your letter. I do hope that one day Elladan and Elrohir will find peace in their lives, and I also hope it is not at the extent of their passing into the Halls to achieve that peace. I miss both of them terribly, one more than the other, and even though I wish not to speak with Elladan, I still do care for him beyond that of loving him. He deserves more than living with the pain he feels for Lady Celebrían. If you find a moment where he is not in the most terrible of moods, please let him know that my thoughts are with both him and Elrohir as they continue their errantries. _

_However, there is one thing I wish you not to tell him. I believe that I will travel over Sea in a few years time, because I cannot bear it to be in this world and not be able to have him with me. He was my one solid companion for all of my life; I feel as though a piece of me is missing. I beg you to not tell him this news, for it probably will only make him more unbearable to live with, or lead him to make rash decisions._

_That is enough of that talk right now. Your description of the Dúnedain was quite humorous, I must say. But I suppose that is what you get with Men of their upbringing. The news of your newfound interest in one of them, while disheartening to hear as it will cause your father great pain should you choose to be mortal, I believe you are the only one to decide if this is what you truly want. If love blossoms between you two, and you find that you cannot live without him, I am of the philosophy that it is better to live one short lifetime with him, than not have him at all for the rest of the ages of the world. Love is not something you can push aside, Undómiel, believe me. I have learned that much these past four hundred years, and it is unbearable to live with the reality that you still hold a great love for someone and no longer have them._

_I am happy for you if the relationship with Aragorn continues to grow. I will support your decision as your friend and fellow elleth. I should like to meet him, though, if I am given the chance, to make sure that he is of the highest caliber for you. You deserve no less than greatness from man or ellon._

_The sun is rising and the messenger is set to leave, so I must end this letter now. As always these letters add a great amount of color to my rather grey life here in Mithlond._

_With all of my love,_

_Silaerín_

_---------_

_1 Laer 3019 of the Third Age_

_Undómiel-_

_I have not heard from you since my last reply a few years ago, in my complete joy for your betrothal. I hope to operate under the assumption that the message was lost, or you were occupied with other things more worthy than my note and not harmed in anyway by these dark times. This message will be sent to Gondor to ensure you receive it when you arrive, or the courier may run into your traveling party. The tidings that came as news of the war ending, Aragorn's crowning and your departure to Gondor to marry him has reached my ears and inspired this letter. _

_News from around Arda always seems to be delayed reaching here, or I would be in Gondor for your wedding. Since I cannot be there, I send my deepest wishes for a lifetime of happiness with Aragorn. I would have given anything to see you named Queen of Gondor, and wed to this man you speak so highly of._

_There is not much to speak of here, but I will give you a small message as this message must remain short. I shall leave in two days time on the next ship to Aman. It will be no use trying to stop me from doing this, as you are so far away, but I thought I would let you know of what was to happen to me so you do not send a reply to this letter. I shall miss you and our letters a great deal, and as well as the rest of your family._

_Tell your father that I will expect more lessons in healing when he sails to Aman._

_To Glorfindel and Erestor, let them know that I will expect their visit when they come to Aman._

_For your brothers… there is no easy way to put what I would like to say on this parchment. Tell Elrohir I will forever miss his charm and wit, and the friendship he has given me all these years was something that has meant much to me. _

_To Elladan… (perhaps privately is best for this message)… tell him that no matter what separates us, whether it be foolishness or Sea, I will always love him. Just let him know that, and give him a kiss for me._

_I must go now, my brother and Bainon are calling for me._

_Once more, my best wishes to you as you embark on this new journey with your love._

_Your friend,_

_Silaerín_

--------

"My lords and ladies!" called the Elf now galloping up to them. Elladan stiffened, looking around, to make sure that there were no troubles on the horizon that this Elf was riding to inform them of. But the Elf slowed, and he noticed a large satchel bag and that it was one of the regular couriers that traveled around Eriador. However, they were now out of Eriador.

Glorfindel called to the Elf, "What news do you bring, Authion?"

The Elf slowed his mount to a relaxed canter with the others, so that they did not need to stop. Elladan watched as Authion greeted his father and grandparents, then glanced at Arwen, "I was sent on an urgent errand by Lady Silaerín."

They had been pretty silent for much of this journey, but if it was at all possible, the group became even more silent as the name settled into their minds. Elladan sighed heavily, his mind going directly to worrying about Silaerín now. What had happened she needed to send an urgent message to them? No matter what he did, and no matter how he denied it, the love he held for Silaerín always made him wonder what she was doing, and at moments like this, made him worry for her.

And to be truthful, the thought of Silaerín was the only thing that kept him going anymore, especially after all of the horrors he had seen since the end of the War.

"What goes on in Mithlond?" Elrond asked.

"My urgency was to make it before Lady Arwen's wedding," Authion said, reaching down into his satchel bag and withdrawing an envelope. "Lady Silaerín was preparing to leave for Aman when she sent me to deliver this."

The words hung in the air, and he felt his world swirl around and break apart at that moment. She was leaving Arda for Aman. She was leaving him. Of course, he should not have felt this way. He was the one who created this faction between them. Really he was surprised she had not done this sooner.

Arwen took the letter from Authion, and opened it slowly after readjusting the reins in her hands. His father glanced at the courier and smiled, "Will you ride with us to Minas Tirith?"

"Nay, I am sorry to say that I must ride to Mirkwood with a missive to Thranduil," said Authion. The messenger smiled and glanced at Arwen again, "But before I leave, I would like to wish you best wishes in your marriage, Lady Arwen."

Arwen smiled, "Thank you, Authion."

"Farewell, mellyn nín," Authion replied and began his ride north.

They were again silent and Arwen took her time reading through the letter. Halfway complete with it, she let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. Before he could ask what was wrong, his father broke in, "What news does she send?"

"She is to sail to Aman with Bainon, the ellon who had been courting her," Arwen replied quietly, and glanced quickly in Elladan's direction with an annoyed expression. It was evident she was trying to show her disapproval for the millionth time for what he had done to Silaerín. And Arwen was very good at reminding him of it as well, every single chance she got.

"Bainon?" questioned Galadriel.

"Aye, Iaurnaneth," Arwen nodded. "He is a high ranking harbor guard. She has written in the past saying she thinks it will go nowhere, but that she was willing to try."

"I see," Galadriel said and sighed, looking back out on the plains before them.

Arwen continued to read, and began to announce the things Silaerín had directed her to tell the family. She finished with Elrohir's statement and paused for a long while, as though she was finished and Silaerín had not written anything to him. A light pang of anger mixed with his guilt, and he set his jaw, sure that everyone would be aware of his discontentment. But Arwen soon rode to join his side, and handed the letter to him.

He looked over the delicately formed letters and read where Arwen had pointed. He knew then and there that he would live the rest of his life in complete and utter pain and guilt for what he had done. It was foolish for him to do what he had done, and he wanted to reverse time so that he could right his wrongs, but that was not at all possible. Now he would just have to live with the fact that Silaerín was gone, was probably planning to bind with Bainon, and that he would forever live his life in guilt.

Unless he chose mortality.

------------

8 Laer- 30th of May, Modern time

54 Iavas- 24th September.

1 Laer- 22nd May

mellyn nin- my friends

Iaurnaneth- grandmother


	24. Interlude 1 ½ : Faith In Love

_A/N: So I lied. More chapters. Studying for finals will just have to wait until the end of the week. I knew this would happen, because once I get an idea, I just have to write it out to it's completion. Anyway, thank you reviewers for your reviews._

Chapter 23- Interlude 1 ½ : Faith In Love

------------------------------

3 Laer 3019 of the Third Age

Shores of the Havens

------------------------------

Silaerín stood overlooking the Sea once more, watching the churning waves as they lulled her into a state of calm. She was not looking forward to this trip across the Sea for many reasons, but the one that made her feel unwell the most was the possibilities of storms that could do great damage to the ship. It was quite humorous for her to think that her father and grandfather were both great mariners of their time, loving the Sea and all of the Sea's moods. She being of the Falathrim, and not liking to sail was nearly blasphemous. She loved it as long as she could stay on solid ground, or at least wade out to swim. Her grandfather said there was nothing to worry about, but she found sitting in a huge ship with no land in sight to be the scariest thing in her life.

Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, trying to memorize the smell of this place. Her home. Her land. She sighed heavily, and tuned her eyes once more to the rolling of the waves. She would miss this tranquility, though she imagine that Aman would be much like this as it was a small island compared to Arda. Her mind traveled to Arwen and her wedding, hoping that the messenger would make it in time for the wedding festivities. What would Elladan say to her letter? What would he think, and not say? Would he feel guilt, or would he be glad that she was gone so he no longer had to worry about her? Did he love her?

"I miss you, meleth," she said under her breath.

"Who are talking to, Silaerín?"

Her eyes flew open and glanced to her side, finding her Bainon standing beside her. She smiled slightly and turned her eyes back to the Sea. "No one."

Bainon sighed heavily and clasped his hands behind his back, gazing at her intently, "Silaerín, you know you could never love me like you did him."

"Why do you bring this up now?" she questioned quietly, glancing down at her feet and burying her toes deeper into the sand.

"Because I think you are making a mistake going with me to Aman," Bainon said frankly.

Silaerín glanced at him, raising curious eyebrows, "Are you not supposed to be wooing me into staying with you, or do I misunderstand the rules of courtship?

Bainon chuckled lightly, "Silaerín, we have become good friends of late, and hardly what I would call lovers in any regard. Your mind is always on him."

"I am sorry, Bainon," she sighed. "I should have been a better friend…"

He smiled gently and took her into his arms, placing a soft kiss on her brow, and saying, "I could never live up to Elladan, and I do not plan on ever being able to soothe the woes that not having him has given you. I would try my hardest, but he is the only one who could be right in your mind's eye."

"I think you are much wiser than I," she said quietly.

"And from all that you have told me, I believe he still loves you," Bainon continued. "You should not be going to Aman. You should go to Gondor to find him, and convince him that he is being quite a lack wit, not running from everything that has happened between you two."

"I have always wanted to stand up for myself, since I was a small elleth… do what I believed was right. I wanted to be able to make my own decisions," she said. "But I have never truly done that. I have not stood up to my father, demanding that he allow me to go to Imladris or Lórien. In a way, I suppose I am still scared of what he would do if I were to stand up to him. Moreover, I suppose I could even be to blame for what has happened. I let Elladan make the decisions for me when he left, just like Ada has kept here forever. All I did when Elladan left was stay here, and not fight for what I wanted, trying to change his mind or convincing my father it was fine that I go to Imladris to stay for good."

Bainon was quiet for a few moments, gazing down at her, "Your father has pushed me along, trying to make something grow between you and me for many years now. You know that. After Elladan left, he started again trying to talk me into courting you. I was not one to complain, given full permission with an elleth like yourself. Your father is pushy and he will always be pushy. It is up to you, however, to stand up to your father and not yield. Your yielding after putting up good arguments gives him the idea he still maintains power over you. He has kept you here long enough, away from the world. And I believe probably has a great deal of influence now and your trip to Aman."

"That is very true, now that I think about it," Silaerín nodded slightly. Bainon was much wiser than she gave him credit for, but he made very good points. That was what she had done all her life… let everything pass before her eyes without taking too much of an active role. If she had really wanted to see Elladan all those times, she should have stood up against her father and done it herself. There others who would have gotten her to Imladris safely. After a while, her father would come to realize that the relationship with Elladan was something that would remain for a long while.

Things were different now, though, and she had no idea if Elladan still truly loved her. She felt their connection all the time, but she was never able to decide if it was only her mind wishing for these things to happen, or if it was alive and well.

Together they both gazed out at the Sea and after a long while, Bainon looked down at her, "I shall ride ahead and alert them."

Silaerín jerked her head to the side, looking into his eyes for a few moments. All of her worries and thoughts going through her mind one last time, as she quickly tried to make a decision.

"Shall I ride ahead, my lady?" Bainon questioned.

"Nay, if I go, I wish this to be a surprise. I do not want him knowing in advance so that he may prepare," she replied. "You should continue to Aman, Bainon. Celin will ride with me, if Adar does not."

Bainon nodded and sighed, "I will await your arrival in Aman, then, my lady."

"I will look forward to it," she smiled.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silaerín spent the good part of her day trying to plan what exactly she was going to say to her father in regards to her leaving, but deciding what arguments were best to use with her father was a completely impossible thing to undertake. Still unprepared by the afternoon, she walked along the corridors, toward her father's study. She would just have to tell him outright, and be done with it. As she went by her grandfather's study, she heard the angry voice of her grandfather and the even, deceptively clam voice of her father. She paused by the door, knowing she should not listen into the conversation, but could not help herself. After a few moments of listening in, though, she was glad she decided to stay as the discussion was about her.

"Nenvír, you cannot let her make this mistake," her grandfather said.

"It was her choice," her father said. "The choice I have wanted for a long while now, granted, but it was hers alone. And if you wish to blame anyone for doing this to her it was that peredhel you have placed so much confidence in."

She heard the angry sigh, one she heard only a few times before from her grandfather, and he said, "I still place much confidence in him, Nenvír. Elladan is a good Elf, he only got a little lost long the way. Everyone can get lost along the way, you should know that first hand."

"He is no Elf," Nenvír said. "We do not even know if he has chosen Elves or Men. How could I let her make the choice of hurting herself again, because she again became involved, only to find out he has chosen Men?"

Círdan grumbled, "He has not chosen yet. I have not seen it."

"Perhaps your mind has been clouded," Nenvír said, though it was not in an over sarcastic way.

"My mind is not clouded!" the elder exclaimed. "They are meant to bind with each other… it has been decided before they were even born into this world by the Valar. Just like they are meant to have children, and rule the remaining Elves of Lórien, Imladris and Mithlond together. What the Valar do not account for are the decisions made once walking Arda."

Nenvír guffawed at that, "But he has done everything but tell her he does not love her. What makes you think he will accept her if she were to stay here and not sail to Aman?"

Círdan sighed again, "We must have faith that he will see the error if his ways. We must have faith that their love is strong enough to over come the separation Elladan asked for so long ago."

Silaerín thought about what was being said, and he mind traveled to the messages inscribed within the betrothal rings and foreboding nature in which Galadriel had told her about them. Elladan had always maintained a dominion of her heart, as she was never able to fully feel as though he did not hold her heart. In some moments she could even sense his thoughts through their bond, though they had grown weaker as of late. Did that mean, then, he was faithful to her, even though they were parted like this?

"Besides, Bainon has taken an interest in her," Nenvír said.

"It is not love, Nenvír. She and Elladan are so bound, though not officially, that she will never love another ellon as she should love," Círdan replied.

There was silence between them, and that was when she decided that it was now or never. She straightened herself, and took a deep breath, raising her hand to knock on the door.

"Who is it?" her grandfather called.

"Silaerín," she called.

"Come in."

Silaerín stepped inside the study, finding her father sitting on a lounge with her grandfather pacing the room. He stopped his pacing though, and looked at her. Their eyes met briefly. It was simple to tell that he knew what she had come for, especially now that a smile was on his face. Nenvír cleared his throat then, garnering her attention, and questioned, "What do you need, Silaerín?"

"I have come to say that I am going to Minas Tirith," she said, not hesitating for a moment with the words. However, she was quite surprised at the ease in which it had come from her mouth.

Nenvír stood quickly, completely stunned at the news, "You cannot possibly go. You are meant to sail to Aman with Bainon."

"I was wrong to make that decision," she said. "Ada, I am going. I must go to know if there truly is nothing between us."

"You cannot go alone," her grandfather said before her father had the chance. "The dangers are still too great for you travel alone."

Nenvír, still sputtering at this, walked to her, "Silaerín, he will only hurt you again."

"You do not know that," she replied. "Whether you like it or not, Ada, I am going."

Círdan smiled, "We will all travel together."

Silaerín looked at her father and sighed, "I will go with or without you, but I would like you travel with me, Ada. I love him more than anything, despite what has happened. Just as I love you, even though you have been suppressive all my life."

Nenvír moved away from her and walked to a side window, seemingly trying to calm his emotions before doing anything he would regret. After a few long moments, he turned to her and sighed heavily, "I will go tell Celin to ready the horses."

She felt the large weight lifted from her shoulders, and smiled triumphantly to herself. She was to go to Minas Tirith, hopefully to find a peredhel that was still in love with her. And she had conquered her biggest fear yet… facing her father.

----------

Ada- Dad

Meleth- love


	25. Gondor: Apparitions

_A/N: This will be sort of reminiscent of the end of Return of the King when Aragorn sees Arwen for the first time after being away. I liked how they did that, though there shouldn't have been the crying, disbelief and everything… they knew they would be together, there was no thinking that Arwen left to go to Valinor. Anyway, I am borrowing the scene, credit of PJ. _

_This story is rapidly coming to a close, and there are only a few more chapters to go, and as a holiday gift to you all,I promise to have it all finished by Christmas. Or perhaps it is not necessarily a gift... you might not be happy that this figment of your imagination is ending. ;-) _

_I do have the new story called Surreneder that I will be working on when this story is over with, so if you like a good AU Haldir romance, then that's the route for you. Thank you reviewers._

Chapter 24- Gondor: Apparitions

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38 Laer 3019 of the Third Age

Eight days after the wedding of Aragorn to Arwen

-----------------------------------------------

Silaerín had no idea how they did it, but they arrived in Gondor in thirty days, taking the route through Enedwaith. They took only eight days to travel through the many cities of Gondor, toward Minas Tirith on the eastern side of the realm, with relative anonymity that there were travelers heading for the great city. She was not able to contain herself the entire trip, not necessarily because she would see Elladan (as a matter of fact, that actually brought her down a slight bit), but it was the fact that her father had finally seen enough errors in his ways and gave up his long lasting battle trying to tie her down in one place.

And as they now entered through the Great Gate, she was overcome by the beauty of the white stone of Minas Tirith. However, she could not keep her mind on the beauty now, her mind reeling as it tried desperately to decide how she was going to face Elladan when she saw him again. It would take all of her strength not to run to him and throw her arms about him; Elladan was the one who would have to set the preference for the way they were to greet each other. He was the puzzle that caused this trouble so long ago, and only he knew what really was going through his mind. By now he should have received the portion of the letter she had written for Arwen, so he would know how she felt. Yes, she would leave it up to him, and wait to find out his reaction before she did or said anything to him.

People crowded as they rode up the many levels of stairs. She could only imagine what it must have been like to see the party from Imladris to arrive in Minas Tirith, with so many great lords and ladies. Now to see her grandfather, father and brother with a few of the other guards from Mithlond must have been another great treat for them. They rode to the sixth level where they were directed to the stables. Many stewards and maids came out to take their things up to the next level, but they were ushered quickly up to the seventh level and into the great courtyard of the Citadel. But they did not stop there, and were pushed past the large doors of the building and into the meeting hall. There were a few people, probably high ranking in the courts of Gondor, mingling about, who all looked at them curiously.

Silaerín wondered where everyone was. Surely they would know by now of their arrival into the city… there were scouts two days ago that they had spotted watching them to take news back to the city. Her wondering was answered shortly, though, when a side door flew open and banged loudly against a wall, startling everyone. That was when Arwen came walking swiftly for them, directing and snipping at a few of her maids as she went, ordering them to go prepare chambers and baths for their guests. When the maids were dismissed, Arwen took the last few long strides toward them, pulling Silaerín into a long embrace before they could even say anything to each other.

"I thank Elbereth that you are here!" Arwen exclaimed, pulling back. "What of Aman?"

Silaerín smiled meekly, "I felt there were other issues I should see to before I even thought of leaving."

Arwen smiled, "And I would agree, but we will discuss that and other things later. My husband and all of the other males of my family are detained in a battle of wits and skill out in the practice ring for the moment, so if you all would like to freshen yourselves, you are more than welcome to."

Realizing she had neglected the other members of her party, Arwen turned to Círdan and bowed slightly. "The servants will show you to your chambers, and I will escort Silaerín."

Without waiting a moment longer, Arwen linked her arm with Silaerín's and pulled her in the direction she originally came from. "Do the others not know of our travel here? I would have at least hoped if they knew they would be here to greet me."

"Aragorn knows," Arwen replied. "I asked him not to tell anyone, because of Elladan. Though I am sure that my grandmother at least knows of this."

Silaerín nodded her head, and let out a one calming sigh. "Good."

They walked along the halls for what seemed like and age, finally coming to a large pair of doors. Arwen paused before opening them, "Since your letter, my brother has been anything but happy. As matter of fact, doom and gloom seem to come to my mind. He misses you dreadfully, Silaerín, even though he has been too foolhardy to admit that until now."

Silaerín felt her heart skip a beat for a moment, hearing those words from Arwen. Perhaps there was still a chance for a life together with him. She smiled, "That brings a slight amount of comfort to the worries I had for making this trip."

"I am very grateful for the one who talked you into this," she said.

"It was Bainon," Silaerín replied. "He told me that I should do this, because no one would ever be able to fill the gaps Elladan left behind."

Arwen smiled, "Then he is wise, and if he were here I would thank him for realizing that there was a love that should have never ended between my brother and my friend."

"It never ended, Arwen. It was only temporarily forgotten," she said quietly. For the first time Silaerín noticed the gold crown on Arwen's head, and stepped back to look at it. In a jesting manner, Silaerín curtsied, "My queen."

The queen chuckled, "Do not start with that. I am the Queen of Men, now. But should everything should go to plan, you, my dear friend, will be Queen of the Elves still in Arda after my grandmother's departure."

Silaerín chuckled, "While I like the distinction, you will still hold both titles, no matter what choice you have made."

"We shall see about that," Arwen replied, now opening the door to the massive bed chamber. They stepped inside to find two maids running about, one taking care of her clothes and one going into the side room, probably preparing a bath. Each of the maids stopped quickly, and bowed their heads for a short moment, uttering proprieties to their queen. Arwen turned to her then, "I must go disband my ladies so they do not gossip too much. In the meanwhile, my maids will help you with your bath."

"Thank you, Arwen," Silaerín replied as she escaped out the door. She chuckled to herself. Arwen was fitting nicely as the curator of this house, and also as queen to these people. Silaerín always knew Arwen had a domineering side, it just waited until now to show it's face.

The maids directed her to the bathing chamber, and helped her with her clothes. They directed her to sit in the warm bath, and left her in peace for what seemed like only a moment, though she knew it was for quite a while. This bath felt very lovely after riding for a month, and she debated on not leaving it. However, the thought of Elladan changed her mind promptly. Stepping out of the bath, the maids buzzed about her, wrapping her in a drying cloth and going about preparing her gown. Soon she was dressed in one of the nicest gowns she had brought with her, and wondered if that had been Arwen's choice, and the maids were working diligently at drying her hair so that they could place her circlet upon her head. And that was before they went to make up.

Arwen walked in then, when she was being shoved from the dressing table stool. Silaerín's eyes were rolling at this dizzying pace, and Arwen laughed, "Aye, everything goes quickly around here, Silaerín. It is more than just their short lives that go quickly."

"But they are very helpful," Silaerín said and sighed. "Well, mellon, it is now or never."

The queen smiled softly, and linked her arm with Silaerín's again, "Let me lead you to the field. I cannot wait for you to meet Aragorn."

"Let me first see how Elladan is going to react to me being here, though I look forward to meeting Aragorn," she replied and glanced at Arwen quickly.

"Aye, you are correct," Arwen nodded and showed her out of the room and through more winding staircases. Finally they made it to a promenade that stretched around the side of the building, probably in the back of the Citadel, though her bearings were still not very good within this huge palace. In the distance there was the metallic clash of swords and shouts, followed by clapping and laughing at something. Well, it seemed that they were in good spirits. She just hoped Elladan was one of those laughing.

As they rounded a corner, though, she could see that it was Elladan and Elrohir who were engaged in their eternal battle of trying to best one or the other with skills with the sword. It was hopeless to think that either of them would ever be able to call themselves winner when in battle with each other, but they stilled loved to duel it would with each other whenever they were given the chance. Perhaps it was the thing that allowed them to stay so close; their fighting with each other gave them the opportunity to work out their differences.

To the side of the field sat Elrond, Glorfindel, Erestor with Celeborn and Galadriel. Standing in such a way to see them as she and Arwen made their ascent of the small practice area, was the ever handsome Legolas and a man of tall stature, complete with dark hair and dark beard. He looked kingly and of the greatest honor, standing as he was, straight-backed with a prideful expression on his face. His eyes turned to them for a moment, and smiled slightly more. She glanced at Arwen and chuckled at her utterly complacent look, "He is handsome for a man."

Arwen giggled and nodded, "He is, but I love him for other reasons as well."

"I would hope so," Silaerín said, noticing now that Legolas' surprised eyes were on her.

The twins were still busy, trying to hurt each other, until one glanced in their direction quickly. She knew it was Elrohir, but he thought nothing of it and went back to parry a blow from Elladan whose back was still turned away from her. But after that parry, Elrohir snapped his head back in their direction, finally connecting things in his brain. That one moment of indiscretion, though, allowed Elladan an advantage as he quickly swiped his sword at his brother's mid section. Elrohir moved out of the way, but tripped, and stumbled to the ground. He did a quick somersault to try to right himself, but Elladan was already there holding a blade to his neck and smiling.

It was completely surprising to everyone there that one of them actually had won the fight, but Galadriel turned her head to the side, a knowing smile on her face. Celeborn soon followed and sighed in a relieved fashion, Silaerín sure Galadriel had spoken to him through their telepathy with each other. Elladan was still baiting Elrohir, to see if he was going to try anything to try to turn the tables on the fight, and Galadriel stood.

She met them halfway, and Silaerín curtsied to her, "My lady."

Galadriel sighed, and smiled, "You are late. I thought that you actually sailed to Valinor."

"I am sorry, my lady," Silaerín replied.

"At least you realized there was some wisdom in what I told you at your betrothal," she said quietly.

Silaerín glanced at the others, now standing quickly. Elrond had a particularly relieved smile on his face, but she noticed that an odd silence had fallen among the others. She took in a calming breath and turned her eyes to the twins. Elrohir was brushing his clothes of the grass, and Elladan stood completely still, looking at her as though he could not understand what was going on. His eyes were a menagerie of things she could not even begin to decipher, but she hoped one of the emotions encapsulated in his expressive grey eyes was that of love. And then he dropped his sword to the ground, having not yet sheathed it, and strode quickly to stand before her.

His right hand reached out to her, cupping and brushing his thumb across her cheek. She held his gaze, and he said, "What are you doing here? You are not supposed to be here."

"I had to come, Elladan. I could not leave without seeing you one last time, and telling you I love you in person," she said quietly, hearing and feeling the emotions going through him. And then she said, only partly jokingly, "But I can leave if you like."

He grabbed onto her quickly, making sure she could not move, "Do not ever leave my side again."

"That works both ways," she replied.

"I do not plan on ever being so brainless again, Silaerín," he said, and before she could comment, he leaned over and kissed her fully on the lips, tightening his grip around her. "I am so sorry for the wrongs I have made."

Silaerín smiled slightly, "I can tell that."

Elladan kissed her again, "I love you, Silaerín. I never stopped loving you, I only thought it was the right thing to do."

"It is easier to forgive and forget than it is to continue brining it up," she replied. "Let us put this behind us and start back to where we were before all of this came to pass between us."

"Aye," he said quietly.

Silaerín threw her arms about his neck, and pulled his head down so that she could meet his lips. The kiss ended, both in need for a bit of air, and she giggled, saying against his lips, "I love you, Elladan."

They stayed in this embrace for what seemed only a fleeting moment, when there was someone clearing their throat close to them. They turned at the sound, finding Elrohir there, holding Elladan's sword. "You dropped this…"

Elladan chuckled and took the sword, Elrohir quickly grabbing her up into a long embrace. The twin sighed, "I have missed you, Silaerín."

"As I have missed you," she said, placing a kiss upon his cheek.

She was thrown about then, being greeted by the others and ended in front of Elrond. The peredhel smiled and instead of his customary bow, he also took her into his arms, and placed a kiss on her brow, "I am glad you chose to stay, Silaerín."

"As am I," she said.

"Elladan would have made another foolish decision if you had gone, and I am more than relieved he will not," Elrond smiled.

Silaerín chuckled and sighed, "So he has not yet made his choice?"

"Nay," Elrond replied quietly, and pulled away from her. "I do not believe you have met the last member of our family."

"I have not," Silaerín smiled, turning her eyes to the man beside Elrond.

"Then may I introduce to you to Elessar Telcontar, King of the Reunited Kingdom," Elrond announced proudly. "More commonly known to us as Estel or Aragorn."

Silaerín curtsied lowly, and said, "My lord."

When she rose from her curtsy, he took her hand and kissed the back of it. His smile widened, "So you are the elleth I have heard so much about from my brothers and many others."

"I hope I am the one," she replied.

"They have spoken of you a great deal," he nodded. "So has my wife, and I am very glad to finally meet you."

"Likewise," Silaerín said.

Aragorn smiled and stepped back from her, looking around at everyone, "Tonight we will feast on this occasion, but now we should retire to prepare."

The others agreed to that, and slowly began to depart the small field. Elladan joined her side and offered his arm to her, "May I escort you to your chamber?"

"I would love you to, if I knew where it was," she said with a small, embarrassed chuckle.

He laughed, and Arwen walked by then to join Aragorn. She smiled slyly and said, "Her chambers are the ones across from yours Elladan."

Silaerín laughed at that, "Mellon, you are lucky the reunion went so well."

Arwen shrugged her shoulders, "I knew it was going to go well. As I said earlier, since your letter he had not been the most pleasant ellon. Any visit from you would lift his spirits."

"Would you be?" he questioned, and moved them toward the promenade to take her back to the chambers. He waited until they were out of hearing distance and stopped to look down at her, "Something just occurred to me. Arwen spoke of something with Bainon… you should not have come here if it meant hurting another."

"Elladan, I was not in love with him, and he knew that. He is the one that told me to come here," Silaerín replied. "It was more a pleasant dalliance to keep my mind off of you."

"You were involved…" he trailed off.

"Nay, in dalliance I strictly mean diversion," she said.

Elladan smiled slightly, and let out a long, heavy sigh. He closed his eyes for a few moments and swallowed harshly, and said, "I do not deserve this forgiveness, Silaerín."

"Perhaps you do not, but as I said. It is much easier to forgive and forget than it is to live in a life where you feel like you deserve nothing else pleasant because of the wrongs you have committed in your past," Silaerín explained.

"But I feel as though I am unworthy of you, no matter how much I try to forget my past," he said. "I have never felt worthy of you… you could do so much better than me."

Silaerín reached up and brushed some of the hair that had fallen in his eyes back, and said, "No I could not, Elladan. The only person who could even equal you is Elrohir, but there is no else _like _you."

He sighed again and leaned over her, pulling her close and into a long kiss. Elladan pulled away and smiled, "My lady, I shall say this once more. I am sorry, and I will make it my new mission to try to make it up to you."

"That could possibly be to my advantage," she chuckled.

"Shall we again become betrothed?" he questioned.

Silaerín raised an annoyed brow, "I have not waited for more than one thousand years in this purgatory to again become betrothed, Elladan. I think everyone will expect us to marry quickly now. Perhaps even this eve?"

"I have no rings," he said.

"You should not need to worry about that," she smiled. "My father traveled with my grandfather, brother and me… he has my mother's and his rings."

"Your father is here?" he questioned.

She nodded, "I stood up to him, and told him I was traveling here with or without him. And I believe he had finally realized this is not some farce, and that I truly love you. However, he will probably will still give you the chagrined looks he is so good at."

Elladan smiled brightly, "I am proud of you, then, meleth. And I would expect nothing less, but you do deserve an entire day devoted to this."

"I would not wish for all that attention. Have you ever known me to like that much attention?" she questioned.

"No," he replied. "But it is a marriage."

"Then we shall celebrate it when _we_ return to Imladris," she said with a smile.

Elladan kissed her again, "I shall speak to Aragorn about doing this during the feast."

---------------

mellon- friend

meleth- love


	26. Gondor: Memories

_A note to all: Not forgetting to study… While taking breaks, writing some of this stuff helps to ease my mind. I know it seems contradictory, because one's mind is usually mush when they finally need to take a break from studying, but I am an odd person. Writing helps me to relax and focus again._

_Thank you reviewers! Now onto writing the epilogue._

Chapter 25- Gondor: Memories

Silaerín sat at the high table for the unplanned feast Aragorn and Arwen had called for the arrival of the her family, and more specifically herself. Except now it was turned into a marriage feast as well, and a rather joyous one at that. And for some reason, she still found herself parted from Elladan. Arwen had taken her about, introducing her to many people, including the Halflings whom Silaerín found particularly wonderful, despite the things they had to endure for the past year. Then they went on to the new Steward of Gondor, and his betrothed Éowyn of Rohan. Both were very warm and welcoming, despite what she had heard about Éowyn from Arwen earlier, who had said that she could have been a man if she wanted to. This happy couple was then followed by Mithrandir, whom she had not seen since his arrival at the docks of Mithlond.

Legolas came around then, and pulled her from Arwen, taking her to meet the surly dwarf Gimli. He was unlike anything she had ever expected from a dwarf. Of course she had heard tell of what kind of people they were, hiding in their mountains and awaking all manner of things in the depths of their mines, but Gimli was truly a cheerful, though brusque, dwarf which she thought mostly endearing. She then moved about the room, speaking with the princes from Dol Amroth before Glorfindel made sure to interrupt her and take her to the dance floor.

When the dance was finished, she had just enough time to see her father and Elladan speaking together, though it appeared to be in hushed tones between each other, and not necessarily in the most civil of moods. Elrohir sidled up to her side then, and bowed to her, "May I have this dance, my lady?"

"I suppose, though I would like to know why you are here and Elladan is not," she said quietly.

Elrohir chuckled, "He had some things to see to, so it is up to everyone else to entertain you until then."

Silaerín glanced back at her father and Elladan, who were now chuckling lightly at something, "What are they speaking of?"

"I have not a clue, Silaerín," Elrohir replied, sweeping her into the dance already started. "it is best to not think about it. We both know Elladan can talk his way out of anything."

She sighed, nodding her head. Then she let out a short laugh, "He can talk himself out of anything, or into anything, can he not?"

Elrohir smiled, "He has certainly gotten himself into some predicaments because of his mouth."

"You both have, but he is the champion," she said.

They danced some more, listening to music as they moved about the floor with the other couples. Elrohir glanced down at her and sighed, "I am glad you came, Silaerín. I could not bear to see my brother go through the pain he has since you both ended your betrothal. He would not admit it, but at nights I could swear I heard him speaking to you. He could have been asleep, and been dreaming of you, but some of the things he spoke of were quite… heartbreaking."

She met his eyes, "Heartbreaking?"

"I cannot repeat them to you, Silaerín. It is Elladan's own right to repeat them to you if he remembers what he said," Elrohir said.

"Why do you do this to me?" she questioned. "You know I cannot stand it when you give me a piece of something very important and will not finish, making me find it out myself."

Elrohir rolled his eyes, "I tell you because it is something important that both of you need to discuss, and I do not know if he will or not."

Silaerín pursed her lips together, and frowned slightly, "I cannot bring it up then, if he does not wish to speak of it."

"Have you not figured out yet that Elladan worships everything about you, Silaerín? He will answer you if you ask," Elrohir said. "He will not be like he was last in Mithlond. He has… we both have… learned a great amount since then."

"I will ask him at one point in the future," she said. Again they were caught up in the dance, until she glanced at him, "What of your love life, Elrohir? Have you found anyone?"

He laughed at her, "Are you kidding me? The most beautiful thing I have seen in a long while are you and my sister. The foul creatures I have fought and Dúnedain Men I have traveled with are not necessarily the best for kindling romances with."

Silaerín laughed, "Fine then, we will have to see to finding you an elleth or a woman when we return to Imladris."

Elrohir paused for a quick moment, looked curiously into her eyes and smiled softly, "That is odd to hear you say, Silaerín. That _we _will be returning to Imladris. I cannot imagine what it is to Elladan to know that the 'we' you speak of with him is as husband and wife."

"It is very odd for me, so I am sure it is the same for him," she replied.

"And you will officially be a sister of mine," he said, and let out a chuckle. "I have not thought of what all this means until now."

"You will adjust, I am sure," she giggled as the dance ended and they parted to a bow and curtsy.

Elrohir took her hand and placed it in his arm to lead her away from the dancers. He quickly looked at her, "I will not like it that Elladan and you will form an alliance against me."

Silaerín gave him a look of incredulity, "Oh please, Elrohir. A marriage is one thing, but a bond between twins is another and one I do not intend to be placed between."

"I knew there was a reason why I like you so much," Elrohir laughed and took her back to the high table.

Elladan stood from his seat and joined them. He did not need to say anything in his intentions for now coming to her, it very clearly written in his eyes. Earlier, both of their families had taken them aside and their parents had joined their hands together in solemn vow, to make sure only Elven ears would hear the blessings. It was said that hearing the name of Eru was far too great for the ears of a mortal to hear spoken in the way it was in Elven marriage ceremonies, much less the mention of Manwë and Varda. They had exchanged their rings in front of the others, though, and there was only one thing left to do to complete this ritual, and that was to share in the joining of their bodies.

Silaerín smiled at him as he bowed to her, "My lady, may I request this next dance?"

"That depends," she said softly and lifted on her toes to reach his cheek with her lips.

Elrohir grumbled, "I am leaving now… I can see when I am not wanted."

She watched as Elrohir walked away to join Aragorn, Arwen and Elrond and let out a soft chuckle. Turning back to Elladan, Silaerín smiled, "We must find him someone, Elladan."

Elladan pulled her against his body and whispered into her ear, "Let us first concentrate on achieving this union…"

"I do not think it will be so hard to achieve, my lord," Silaerín replied and backed away. She took his hand and led him to floor of dancers for the next dance.

He stopped her though and tugged her back into his chest, "I would not be too heartbroken if we were to skip the dance and retire directly to the bed chamber."

Silaerín giggled, "You made me wait for an age and almost lose you; you can live through one dance with your wife. I should think it quite an easy recompense for such a thing you have put an elleth through."

Elladan nodded his head, "I suppose it could be much worse."

"I could arrange that for you," she smiled wickedly, and led him again to the dance floor. The previous song was ending as they joined the foray of revelers. A few moments passed and the next song began, the slow, lilting melody of it a rather heady one to dance to with a lover- it being the one they had danced to at their betrothal. Many of the residents of the dance floor vacated their spots, which left only a few married and unmarried couples upon the floor. However, when Aragorn and Arwen descended to prepare for the dance, then followed by Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, the couples quickly left the floor to watch the proceedings of their new King and Queen, and the old and new high-born Elven couples.

And so the dance began and the brief exchange of dance partners in the beginning allowed her a moment to speak with Aragorn, and then Celeborn on a few things, that were mostly of best wishes. When she was finally back in Elladan's arms, and moved thoughtlessly to the music, the dance steps so well ingrained in her mind. She smiled to herself, recalling the fond memory of the evening Elladan taught her how dance.

"What are you thinking of, melethril?" he questioned, as the dance called for a movement bringing their bodies close together.

"A fond memory," she smiled, "of a shy young elleth being taught to dance by a cocky young ellon. That innocent night sealed their fate before they even knew what their lives would bring."

Elladan smiled, and it was truly the first she could recall this evening. It was lovely to see him smile again. "You see, I have the same memory, but it was very different for me. As I see it, I recall a respectable, humble young ellon teaching a shy, young elleth not to dance to dance."

Silaerín sighed, "So it will be told both ways to our children, though we know my version is the correct one."

"But we do agree on something," Elladan replied. "It was the evening that sealed our fate the instant I took you into my arms, even though we were young and knew not what was happening."

She nodded her head, suddenly feeling a warm wave of a happiness flood over her. "You swore to be my keeper."

"I never dreamed it would come to this, that I would be dancing here with you after all of the pain suffering this world has seen," he replied. "I shall forever be your keeper, meleth. The question I pose to you is if you will still be a partner in misdeeds."

Silaerín laughed lightly, "That depends entirely on the manner of the misdeed."

"Helping me to sneak away from boring meetings with Erestor and Ada, so that I may attend to your needs and desires?" he questioned.

"That I may help you with," she smiled, and felt her face grow warm, though she knew not if it was from the exertion of the dance or if she was really bashful about what he had said. "As long as this takes place in privacy."

"Your wish is my command, my lady," he chuckled at her, the last strains of the music ending. Instead of letting her back away from him to curtsy, he held her close and leaned down to kiss her deeply. Now she was embarrassed to have that done to her in front of all these people, but as the majority of them had a good amount of ale and wine in their system, they only laughed and applauded the dancers.

The subsequent transition to the next dance with the others now joining in on it, and Elladan pulling her through the crowd, caused a great blur for her. She only regained a semblance of knowing where she was as they walked down a dimly lit hallway toward the direction of their chambers. Silaerín laughed at him, "Have you been planning that exit the entire evening?"

"In between conversation with your father," he replied as they came upon his door.

"Which reminds me, did that go well?" she asked.

"As well as it could go," he said, pushing her back against the door. He leaned down over her, supporting his weight upon his hand on the door, and planted a languorous kiss upon her lips. With a sigh into her mouth, he parted from her for only a moment, "I would much rather talk about this in the morning, meleth."

She giggled as he playfully kissed and nipped at her neck, her hands finding his head and entwining her fingers in his hair in an effort to grip onto something to hold her upright. She had forgotten the simple pleasures his kisses could create. His lips now upon her exposed collar bone brought those familiar exhilarating sensations, and ones she had nearly forgotten could come from an ellon doing such things as he was.

The door began to give way behind her, and she thought for a moment that perhaps she was so defenseless that he had reduced her to that of a puddle of liquid, and she struggled to stay on her feet. That was, of course, until she felt an arm encircle her waist, and realized that he was maneuvering himself to pick her up from the ground, as he had already opened the door while kissing her. When inside the room, he kicked the door shut and took her to the bed, dropping her more than setting her upon the soft mattress. She laughed at him as he smiled evilly down at her, quickly removing his boots, and then did away with their respective circlets by placing them on a table beside the bed.

Silaerín sat up and flickered her own shoes off as he did this, and then again before she knew what was going on, he was pushing her back against the bed with the weight of his body as he kissed her deeply. However, once he was resting easily over her, he carefully rolled to the side so that he was on his back, brought her with him. She laughed at him, leaning over to kiss him, "You enjoy females controlling what goes on?"

Elladan chuckled, and placed his hands on her waist, moving them around her back and began untying the satin ribbons of her gown. "Perhaps I like to give you a false sense of control. I often give my opposition that before I strike."

She chided, "I am no more than prey?"

"In my bed, possibly," he said.

"It is our bed," she replied as his hands gathered the skirts of her gown and pulled it and her shift over her head, tossing it to the side. It landed on the floor with a unceremonious swoosh, and she turned back to him. His warm hands found her legs and traveled up, around her hips and up the sides of her torso to her breasts. She could feel him beneath her growing ever more excited through his leggings, if that was at all possible.

The palms of his hands brushed across her breasts and he sighed, sitting up slightly to reach her lips, "I have missed you so much, Silaerín."

"That is very evident, my lord," she said, letting her fingers work deftly at undoing the fastenings of his tunic. Delighted that it grew easier each time she was with him, she quickly was rid of the obstruction of his tunic, and placed her hands upon his chest. She glanced down as he traced her fingers along his muscles, and noticed that he had many different shaped and colored marks in no specific pattern in various places on his torso. At closer inspection, she knew exactly what they were.

"Scars," he said quietly. "They are more visible than they might be on an edhel. But with the Edain in mine, they are more visible. I know it is not the most pleasing to the eyes."

Silaerín met his eyes, "I do not mind it… I do not love you because you are a fine specimen of Elf and Man. Though I must admit that is a lovely combination added to everything else I love about you."

Elladan laughed and placed a hand in her hair, slowly pulling her back down with him as he kissed her deeply. With one fluid movement, he shifted gradually to his side, taking her with him. He caressed her skin, working his was up again toward her breasts. "Silaerín, I make my choice this night to remain with my Elven kin. Whether the Valar have recognized it or not yet, I do not know."

Silaerín smiled, "I had hoped you would choose that."

He grinned brightly, and kissed her again. She sighed as his thumb ran lightly across her nipple, moaning softly when his lips moved in that direction. And once more she found her place with him, and the comfort of being in his arms. Except, this time, it was permanent. They would forever be bound together, and for once she felt peace in her life.

* * *

melethril- female lover 

meleth- love


	27. Epilogue

_A/N: I know the genetics involved when it comes to having twins, and that the specific tendency to have twins is carried by the mother. However, for my story purposes in Middle-earth, and because I don't think Tolkien was a biologist in any regard, we're going to go a little against biology here. That is my only warning for this chapter._

_And as you can see at the very end, I am opening it up to a sequel, should I find time to write it. Just who will the main characters be for that? We shall see…_

_Make sure to catch the previous chapter if you have not already. And please, now that the story is over, remember to review. Let me know how the entire story was for you! I love to hear your comments._

Epilogue

**A few months later….**

Elladan woke early to soft breathing beside his ear. It startled him at first, still not used to the amazing feeling of waking up to one ellyth beside him, but when he realized where he was and all that happened in the past few months, he let out a long, comfortable sigh. He turned to his side, and carefully wrapped his arm about her waist to pull her sleeping form more closely against him. She stirred slightly but did not wake, burying her head more into the crook of his neck.

Sometimes he wondered if it was all an illusion and he had been in this illusion for an extended amount of time, about to wake up. He had been so ready to proclaim his mortality, to live a shorter life, so that he would not have to go to Aman and see Silaerín living a happy life free from him. But then, completely unbeknownst to him, she appeared out of nowhere, like an oasis in the deserts of Middle-earth. The moment he saw her, recognized that it was her, and realized that she had not sailed to Aman, he felt his heart literally leap from his body. And the moment he embraced and kissed her, his world slid back into place and into the peaceful groove it had been in before he made the foolish decision to leave her in the first place.

What he could not even begin to understand, though, was why she had forgiven him so easily. But he knew he would never take their love for granted any longer, because he had always planned on perhaps going back to her after the troubles of Middle-earth were under control. He had taken her for granted then, and that could have been the reason why he had been so hurt when he found out she was to sail to Aman. He had never thought she would actually do it.

Except it was no longer worth worrying about, because they had ended up together, in each other's arms and now wed.

Smiling softly to himself, he moved his hands up her shift-covered body to her face and caressed her cheek with his fingers. She shifted slightly, some of her pale hair falling into her face. He moved the hair back behind her ears and leaned down to place a kiss upon her lips. The traveling party had arrived late in the evening, bathed and had tumbled straight into bed to rest from their arduous journeys over the past few months, and he had been unable to share with her in her view, once more, of Imladris after having not seen it in so long. He was ever eager to do it now, and show his new wife off to the inhabitants of Imladris that still remained.

Her eyes fluttered open, revealing a sea of bright blue, and she smiled, "Good morning, meleth."

"Good morning," he said, kissing her brow. "How are your aches from riding?"

"They are much better, thank you," she replied with a laugh. "I am lucky that you were such a good pupil when it came to your father's teachings."

Elladan smiled, "Aye, you are."

"Of course, I could always have Elrohir do it," she said and kissed him.

"And he would do it just to spite me," Elladan nodded his head and ran his fingers through her hair. "Are you ready to leave this serene place and take a walk with me?"

Silaerín glanced around the room for a few moments, and he watched as her eyes lit up and her smile grew larger. "I had forgotten where we were."

He chuckled, "We are home."

"Home," she said quietly, in a good amount of awe. "In Imladris."

Elladan loved how the innocence returned to her demeanor when she spoke of Imladris in such a way, as though she could not believe it was actually true. He noticed her looking around the large room again, "When I was here, I often wondered what was behind these doors. I also almost found enough courage to come in and hide in the wardrobe, but I decided against it."

"You would have never been able to accomplish it," he replied, loosening his grasp on her and moving off the bed. "You are not as stealthy as Elrohir or me."

"Nay, I think it is because I am not as _bold_ as you are," she said. Silaerín threw her legs over her side of the large bed and stood up, walking to the trunk of her things that was brought in upon their arrival, but not taken care of yet.

He watched her as she searched through it for an appropriate gown, and she finally chose one of pale blue. She glanced at him quickly and raised her brows in question. Elladan sighed, "I just cannot believe that you are here, and you are my wife. I never thought I would see you again, after…"

"It was meant to be, some way or another," she replied, quietly pulling the gown over her head and tying the string behind her back. He went to dressing himself, and when he was done, he glanced back at Silaerín who was brushing through her hair. Elladan chuckled lowly to himself and found a comb to care of his own hair, but she was there, motioning him to sit down at the dressing table in the room. Soon her delicate fingers were wrapped about in his hair, braiding it skillfully and quickly. She leaned over him when she finished, kissing the top of his head.

"Silaerín, I need to speak with you about something," he said evenly.

She paused briefly, glancing down at him in a suspicious fashion, as he could see her in the mirror behind him. Silaerín sighed and sat down beside him on the bench, gazing at him, "What is it, meleth?"

"Elrohir told me that he told you about my dreams after we found our mother," he said. "And I wanted to speak with you about them, though they no longer haunt me."

"Tell me," she replied.

Elladan took a long breath, and met her eyes, "When we found my mother, it was in the worst conditions. She had been tortured and raped by those filthy creatures more times than we could ever possibly know. She was hanging onto the last thread of life. We were so very scared that our mother would die on the ride back to Imladris, but we were lucky to arrive in just enough time for Ada to save her hroa. She healed in body back to her full strength, but her spirit was forever darkened. The things she lived through while in the orcs' torment constantly replayed in her mind, growing more and more troublesome for her. We worried about her, tried to help her, but nothing worked. It seemed that nothing would ever help, even if she went to Aman."

He continued, "What I am trying to say is that my fëa is weaker than the average ellon, because of the Edain blood. I feel fear more than ellyn, and I was as affected as she was. I dreamed again and again of happening upon her in the orc cave. They way she was bloodied and bruised and broken was my foremost thought in my mind the year before she left. But over that time, my visions changed. They were still of me rescuing an elleth from the orc cave, and in the fashion I found my mother in, but the elleth turned into you. I thought it odd, and tried to stop the visions, but they kept returning. There is a touch of foresight in my siblings and me, and I grew scared that you would suffer the same fate as my mother. I could barely survive my mother being hurt like that, I could not even fathom what would happen to me if that happened to you. Especially if I was responsible for it, by wedding you."

By this time, he realized a few tears were falling down her cheek, and he reached out to brush them away. "I know it is not something that is pleasant to hear, but that is why I had to push you away from me. I had no idea of what would happen to you… I still do not, but at least now I realize it is much better to have you for a short time than no time at all, if that should happen."

Silaerín sniffled slightly and turned her eyes from him, "I feel horrible now… for what I accused you of when you were in Mithlond."

Elladan sighed, and placed his fingers beneath her chin, tilting her head up so that he could look into her eyes, "What you accused me of was true, Silaerín. You had no way of knowing what was going through my mind… that I could grow so scared over something that normally would not cause such an action in an edhel. But one thing remains. I shall forever be worried about what could happen to you, but I will learn to deal with that fear."

"Elladan, I know not what to say in response to that," she said quietly.

"You need not say anything, meleth," he replied, kissing her tenderly and embracing her closely to him. "I thought that perhaps this information might give you more of an insight to the way I act when it comes to trying to protect you."

Silaerín smiled gently, "I love you, Elladan. And I understand."

"You could not possibly love me more than I love you," he said in only a faintly jesting voice. They stayed silent for a few moments, content to stay in this place and in this embrace for his entire life. But he knew they had things to see to. "Let us go."

"Aye," she said, following as he took her hand and pulled her up. They left the room, and walked along the airy corridors, and Silaerín found herself recalling the directions and rooms that they passed. He led her out to the main portico off the second floor of the house where his father, Glorfindel and Erestor sat sharing their morning meal with Elrohir.

"You two are out of bed rather early," said Glorfindel with a smirk.

Elladan was not sure who did it, but someone kicked Glorfindel from beneath the table. The advisor went off on a good natured tangent, but Elladan and Silaerín continued to the end of the portico, where the best vantage point was to look out over the city. They paused, and Silaerín looked out over the land, letting a soft sigh escape her lips. He leant over, whispering to her, "Behold your land, Silaerín, Lady of Imladris and Mithlond…"

She smiled at him, "It is about time."

He laughed at that, and then took her back to the table where they sat for the morning meal.

* * *

**Roughly 113 years later, after the death of Elessar and the fading of Arwen…**

She looked out at the land, now slowly becoming more and more visible as their ship pierced through the heavy fog. Green mountains rose high up into the blue sky, seemingly a product of the fog and not of the land, the way the thick air hung low to ground. The sun shone bright, trying to burn away this fog so that she could just barely make out the outline of the port city. She thought she would have seen this sacred land much sooner than this, but she was glad she had not. This was how it was mean to be, here with her husband and her newly born children.

The babe in her arms squirmed restlessly, and she glanced down, meeting the large grey eyes. Silaerín smiled, the babe reciprocating it readily, even though she had just woken from her nap. She wiped away the drool now on the babe's lips and lifted her up so that she could placed a kiss on her brow. A shadow fell across them, and she glanced up to find Elladan standing beside her and gazing down at the small babe.

"Where is Meneliel?" he questioned, reaching over and taking Ithilriel's right hand in his infinitely larger one. Ithilriel giggled, and grasped her father's thumb with her tiny fingers.

"Your brother took her, and the last I saw them, he was regaling her with a tale of one of your infamous exploits," Silaerín replied, readjusting Ithilriel in her arms.

But their questioned were answered when there was a loud wail from behind them, and Elrohir came walked quickly toward them. Elladan laughed, "What did you do now?"

"I know not," Elrohir said, quickly handing off the dark-haired babe to Elladan. The babe quieted quickly, and Elrohir grunted, "I do not know what she finds so different about me."

Silaerín laughed, "She knows who her father is, Elrohir. And we know well your stories are quite frightening sometimes."

"So I was not born a bard," he said with a small laugh.

She smiled and looked back down in her arms at the silver-haired fraternal twin gurgled for more attention than she was receiving. Silaerín had always thought the possibility of having twins was a large one, but she did not think that if she had twins, they would turn out so different from each other. The eldest was Ithilriel, with hair of the Falathrim blonde like her mother, and grey eyes like her father. The younger of the two, Meneliel, had the dark hair like their father's side of the family, and Silaerín's blue eyes. Their personalities could be no more different, either; Ithilriel the quiet, well adjusted one, and Meneliel the loud, discontent one.

Silaerín chuckled to herself, recalling when they were born and the first time Elladan saw both of them together. His comment was not that they were beautiful, or that they were miracles, but that they were at least 'easy to tell apart'. She had laughed then, knowing of the stories he had told her of all the times he was blamed for things he did not do because he was so identical to Elrohir. And really, she was glad they were so different from a mother's stand point. At least she would never mix them up.

The ship anchored at the dock, and the process of unloading slowly began. They were the first to be shown from the ship, and told that their things would come along later. Soon Celeborn, who had stayed with them in Imladris since he left Lórien and Galadriel left Arda, followed them and joined them. As they walked from the docks toward the solid land, she breathed in the warm air… such a different climate than where they had come. It would take some getting used to, but she would be happy to do that.

There was a carriage of some type waiting for them to take them the short distance to the dwelling her grandfather now was sharing with his Telerin kin that had stayed in Aman. Arriving very shortly after they began this new journey, they were helped out of the carriage and guided by a steward around the long promenades and staircases toward a pair of large doors that opened up onto an equally large, light room, many windows cut out of the stone walls. She noticed first her grandfather standing and speaking with Galadriel, and then glanced around the room to find Elrond and Celebrían now standing quickly. Silaerín smiled brightly to herself, seeing Celebrían there, looking much better than she had when she left Arda.

Celeborn went off to greet Galadriel, and Silaerín glanced up to look at both Elladan and Elrohir's faces. They mirrored the identical look of relief, seeing their mother come toward them again. Celebrían first took Elrohir into her arms, hugging him closely before stepping back to look over him, making sure he was well. After dismissing him to Elrond, she turned to them and did the same to Elladan, speaking many happy things. Silaerín sighed. At least Celebrían had healed. That was when Celebrían turned to her, and smiled brightly.

The lady took her into a hug as well, making sure not to smother the babe between then, and placed a kiss upon her brow. Celebrían stepped back and smiled, "Welcome, iell nín."

Silaerín smiled, "Thank you, Celebrían. You look well."

"I feel well," she replied but was interrupted by the gurgling giggle between them. Celebrían glanced down at Ithilriel, and then up at Silaerín, "May I?"

"Of course, my lady, You are their grandmother, after all," Silaerín said, offering the babe.

Celebrían took the child into her arms, and cooed lovingly at it, "What is your name, pen neth?"

"Ithilriel," Silaerín replied, glancing at Elladan who was being welcomed by his father. And then the two ellyn were entranced as they spoke of the second child in Elladan's arms.

Elladan told his father the second was named Meneliel, and Elrond went to inspecting the child, cooing quietly. Celebrían sighed, "My grandchildren are lovely, Silaerín."

Elrond glanced up at Silaerín then, and smiled, "Did you help with their naming?"

"Nay, my lord," Silaerín laughed. "I trusted that Elladan could do it himself. But he and Elrohir teasingly call them Nad Min and Nad Tad."

Celebrían laughed and shifted the babe in her arms, glancing at Elrohir who was looking on, "Now, my son, we must get you settled."

* * *

meleth- love 

Meneliel- Heavenly daughter

Ithilriel- Crowned with the moon

Iell nin- my daughter.

Pen neth- young one

Nad Min- Thing One

Nad Tad- Thing Two


End file.
